Speyside’s smallest distillery has revealed the first bottling of its ten-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Benromach distillery, in Forres, has launched Benromach 10 Years Old, a golden malt with rich fruit, sweet chocolate and delicate spicy aromas.

Benromach distillery, which employs just two experienced distillers, is owned by Elgin-based whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail.

The distillery went through many changes of ownership and closures before being ‘rescued’ and restored by Gordon & MacPhail in 1993 and was officially opened by the Prince of Wales in 1998.

David and Michael Urquhart, Joint Managing Directors of Gordon& MacPhail, said:

This is a milestone for us – our family have been whisky specialists for generations, so to finally unveil our own ten-year-old single malt is the fulfilment of a dream. We think that Benromach 10 Years Old displays a big taste from a tiny distillery and we hope that people will enjoy our whisky as much as we do – and share the secret of Benromach with fellow whisky-lovers.”

The launch of Benromach 10 Years Old comes just six months after Gordon & MacPhail was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of its export success. The company made malt history in 2006 by launching the world’s first certified organic whisky – Benromach Organic.

Benromach 10 Years Old will be available from whisky shops and fine wine and spirits retail specialists worldwide, as well as selected bars and restaurants in the UK. It will have an RRP of £27.99 but will be released with a special introductory price of £24.99 in the UK.

Ends

For more information and product images please contact Linda Bruce or Kate Trussler at Platform PR – 0131 226 3000/ 07920 529 138.

Links
www.benromach.com

THE GLENROTHES ENTERS SAINSBURY’S OUTLETS NATIONWIDE

The Glenrothes Select Reserve, distributed by Maxxium UK, is set to hit the shelves in 245 Sainsbury’s outlets throughout the UK from mid-October 2009

As the first confirmed listing within the multiple grocery sector, the deal comes as an extremely positive move for The Glenrothes within the UK off trade.

Jen McLaren, Maxxium UK’s assistant brand manager for The Glenrothes, said: “The launch of The Glenrothes Select Reserve into Sainsbury’s outlets throughout the UK is an incredibly positive and exciting step for the brand and will allow more whisky drinkers to discover the secrets of this exceptional single malt.”

The Glenrothes is an award winning Speyside Single Malt Whisky of exceptional quality. Its portfolio includes a limited range of Vintages, each selected on their own unique personality, and the non-Vintage specific Select Reserve. The Glenrothes was among the first whisky distillers to adopt this unusual vintage approach. The vintage concept means bottling by year (rather than age) and casks are only selected when they have reached absolute peak of perfection.

Introduced in 2005, and produced to the same exacting standards as the Vintages, The Glenrothes Select Reserve is a vatting of casks distilled in different years and typifies the distillery house character of ripe fruits, juicy citrus, creamy vanilla and hints of spice. Previously only available in specialist retailers, Select Reserve is presented in the iconic Glenrothes bottle and is the very essence of The Glenrothes range.

The Glenrothes Select Reserve has been a resounding success amongst whisky connoisseurs and has already picked up a number of awards including Best in Class at the World Whiskies Awards 2008, Winner and Platinum Q at The Quality Drink Awards 2008 and a double gold medal at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2007.

The Glenrothes is also available in a limited range of Vintages, currently including 1978, 1985, 1991 and 1994.

For further information please visit www.theglenrothes.com 

For press enquiries or photography, please contact:

Linda Edstrand / Pamela Wils, The BIG Partnership

Tel: 0131 555 5522

Email: linda.edstrand@bigpartnership.co.uk; pamela.wils@bigpartnership.co.uk

Notes to editors:

About The Glenrothes

·         The Glenrothes was founded in 1879

·    The Glenrothes is also available from 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

Maxxium UK:

Maxxium UK Ltd is part of the global sales and distribution alliance between Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc and The Edrington Group.

Its UK portfolio of premium brands includes: blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse and Teacher’s), malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, The Macallan, The Glenrothes and Ardmore), imported whiskey (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Canadian Club, Tullamore Dew), cognac and brandy (Courvoisier and Fundador), sherry (Harveys), port (Cockburn’s), vodka (Stolichnaya), tequila (Sauza), rum (Brugal and Cruzan), liqueurs and specialities (Sourz, Bols liqueurs, Galliano, Vaccari, After Shock, Carolans and Irish Mist)

 For further information on our brands and how to enjoy them, log on to www.mixxit.co.uk

The Glenrothes Select Reserve 700ml

25nd September 2009

WHISKY GURU CHALLENGES PUBLISHERS MORALS AS REPRINT GOES ON SALE

Internationally acclaimed whisky writer Jim Murray has today questioned the moral and ethical rights of publisher Prion to re-print, re name and publish a twelve year old book that carries his name.

Originally published in 1997 as ‘Jim Murray’s Complete Book of Whisky’, the book which is now titled ‘The Classic Whisky Guide by Jim Murray’ is claimed to be up-to-date and reflecting the current whisky industry.  This is blatantly not the case in that the ‘new’ book has not been re-written, revised or amended by its creator.  In fact Jim Murray says that the first he knew about his ‘new’ book was when he “stumbled across it on-line!”

Having read the latest offering from Prion, Murray points out that ‘The Classic Whisky Guide’ is merely a reprint of an abridged edition in new clothing and that people buying it believing it to be an updated version of the original are likely to be very disappointed!  Murray comments “I have major concerns over the moral and ethical actions of the publisher in that none of the promotional material supporting the book makes clear its very long history.  It’s only when the reader has bought the book that its status as a reprint is revealed and the fact that it is horribly out of date”.

“The reality is that the whisky industry and its whiskies have changed significantly since 1997, in some cases almost unrecognisably so.  Naturally, I feel aggrieved on behalf of my readers who may have already bought this book believing it to be a new work by me, either as a follow up to my hugely successful  ‘Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible’, or an accompaniment to it.  I would fully understand their disappointment and anger to find the book already in their libraries; and as such I need to underline the point that I did not have any hand in this”.

Believing that the Prion book could damage his professional reputation, Jim Murray asserts that “readers buying this offering from Prion must not automatically take what is contained therein as my views on whisky today”. 

For the current status of the whisky industry Dram Good Books can confirm that the 2010 edition of ‘Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible’ will be launched on October 5th 2009.  “The fact that the 2010 ‘Whisky Bible’ features no less than 946 new whiskies, all of which have been tasted and catalogued, serves to highlight the scale of the changes that have occurred in the whisky industry just in 2009, let alone the last decade!” added Murray.
~Ends~
For more information please contact:

Mark Hunt
Director of Communications
Dram Good Books Ltd
Email: mark@whiskybible.com
Tel:  07768 145583

http://www.dramgoodbooks.com/

From John Campbell at Laphroaig Distillery;

I hope you are looking forward to the Distillery Live Whisky tasting tonight at 20:00 EDT. I am actually writing to you from the States. I’ve been over here in America for a week visiting some US FOLs – I’m having a great time and have been welcomed warmly!

The website is now live and you can go on to familiarise yourself with it before the live webcast begins. As you will see there is an area where you need to input your name. This will allow you to watch the live show and also to submit any questions you want on the night. There is also an area which gives you a brief synopsis of the event and also shortened biographies of each of our panelists.

I have included all the details again below so that you have the web address to hand:

Distillery live online whisky tasting
When: Friday 25th September 2009
Where: www.distillerylive.us.com
Time: 20:00 EDT (Saturday 26th September 01:00 British Summer Time)

Remember you can see what time 20:00 EDT is in your country by following the link on the Distillery Live website.

We have checked that this works on all the latest browsers but would recommend viewing in Internet Explorer if possible. Also, you will need to have flash on your computer to watch the show. You can follow the link on the Distillery Live website to download flash for free. Make sure you do this in advance as I wouldn’t want you missing anything!

I really hope you can join us tonight for this unique online event, as I mentioned before there will be not only tastings of Laphroaig expressions, including the new 18 Year Old but also cocktails and some gourmet food!

Do feel free to pass this email onto any of your whisky loving friends. We’re always looking for new converts!

Sláinte,

John Campbell

Whiskey Channel Delivers Breaking Reports in Unprecedented Quality

Bardstown, KY- Singlemalt TV, the world’s only online television channel exploring whiskies of the world, generated widespread acclaim last week when they presented full, breaking coverage of Bardstown’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival. The breadth and timeliness of the coverage, coupled with exemplary quality are unprecedented in the whisk(e)y industry.

Singlemalt TV launched in 2006 with an initial focus on Scotch Whisky, the fledging site founded by veteran Director of Photography and IPTV pioneer Rob Draper, quickly gained recognition for its HD originated, exclusive programming. For two years Singlemalt TV continued to focus on Scotch Whisky, with an occasional foray into American Whiskey and bourbon. It was last spring when crews journeyed to Kentucky to film a Wood and Whisky feature in conjunction with Morrison-Bowmore that the bourbon industry became a focal point for Singlemalt TV. Following the completion of the Morrison-Bowmore project, Singlemalt TV scheduled a round of distillery shoots in Kentucky. As soon as the footage aired on the channel it became evident that Bourbon was a huge hit with the website’s formidable global audience.

Last week Singlemalt TV took their full show on the road, working round-the-clock from a historic former library in downtown Bardstown as preparations for the 18th Kentucky Bourbon Festival commenced. Camera crews worked to capture all the offerings of Bourbon Country, shooting at distilleries and on Louisville’s Urban Bourbon Trail in the days leading up to the festival.

After filming a live webcast each morning, camera crews set out on assignment to various locations around the region. Upon returning from each location, crews turned over their footage to a video editor working from the Bardstown headquarters who meticulously cut each segment for a nightly show. For six days and nights Singlemalt TV’s on-location staff worked to deliver exclusive up-to-the-minute coverage of the KBF
as it unfolded, maintaining their exacting broadcast-caliber standard throughout.

To date Singlemalt TV has continued to experience record site traffic. The tremendous response from the Bourbon Industry and regional tourism agencies has been mirrored by the feedback received from viewers in 120 countries. Even Kentucky’s Governor Steve Beshear, who recently declared September “Bourbon Heritage Month,” took a moment to chat with Singlemalt TV about the importance of bourbon to the area. Bourbon insiders have described Singlemalt TV as the “buzz” of the industry, and future plans for more exciting endeavors in Kentucky are already underway.

Notes:
1. www.singlemalt.tv
2. Singlemalt TV is a Visionmill Productions company.
3. All material on Singlemalt TV is original and copyright.
4. For further information email jenna@singlemalt.tv

New Whisky Ratings  – Spirit Journal Sept 2009
 
Springbank 11 Year Old Madeira
5 STARS HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION
“Finshes long, chewy, buttery, and ideally sweet yet crisp”
SRP $99
This was a limited release from Springbank, get your hands on a bottle while you can! 
 
Springbank 18 Year Old
5 STARS HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION 
“Ooooh, this lovely, biscuity nose […] entry is nothing short of delicious as the taste profile goes caramel sweet, tangy/salty and baked […] concludes as warm as embers in the throat, semisweet, and demarara sugar-like. To use the most technical term I can think of: wowee-wow-wow-wow.”
 
Duncan Taylor Cameronbridge 1979 Cask #3584 Single Grain
4 STARS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
“Whoever claims that grain whiskies can’t hold their own against single malts should sample this dandy whisky.”
SRP $180
 
Duncan Taylor Dalmore 1990 Cask #D311
4 STARS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
“Finishes on a semisweet note that very piny / cedary / resiny”
SRP $128
 
Duncan Taylor Royal Lochnagar 1990 Cask #355
4 STARS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
“Wow, the entry, the midpalate, and aftertaste are dynamite.”
SRP $174
 
BlackBull 30 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky
4 STARS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
“Entry is very sweet in a high cocoa content dark chocolate way rathen than a sugary manner […] an intriguing blend with lots going for it.”
SRP $199

www.preissimports.com

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2010 has been sent to the printers and the first copies are expected 1 October.

Four years have passed since the first edition of Malt Whisky Yearbook saw the light of day, and the book has become an authoritative guide that whisky enthusiasts worldwide look forward to each autumn.

The fifth edition, Malt Whisky Yearbook 2010, is as always fully revised and packed with new and up-to-date information on whisky distilleries from all over the world. Distinguished whisky writers such as Charles MacLean, David Stirk, Gavin Smith, Ian Buxton, Dominic Roskrow and Ian Wisniewski contribute with initiated features penned exclusively for the Yearbook.

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2010 lists hundreds of whisky shops, whisky sites and new bottlings. A comprehensive summary of the whisky year that was and all the latest statistics is also included. Nearly 200 tasting notes describe the flavour of single malts from all working distilleries in Scotland and Ireland. Finally, with more than 500 colour photographs (most of them new since the last edition), Malt Whisky Yearbook 2010 is as much an essential reference guide as a book to read for pleasure.

www.maltwhiskyyearbook.com

The Independent Bottlers’ Challenge 2009:
The Society Scoops Five Fantastic Awards and a Bottler of the Year Title

Just this week the results were out for Whisky Magazine’s Independent Bottlers’ Challenge 2009.  It seems not only do you love our single cask, single malt whisky, the judges love it too!

“The benchmark for Independent bottlers”, the Society scored highly in this year’s competition with five awards and a Bottler of the Year title for the Island region (non-Islay).

Of course only Society members can get their hands on these starlights.  Some casks are sadly gone but for the others the last few bottles are available to buy NOW.  But hurry, once they’re gone, they’re gone forever!

Island (Non Islay):    Independent Bottler of the Year
12 Years Old and Under:   121.28 Banderas in a Tuxedo – GOLD
19 Years Plus:                    4.131 An Artist’s Retreat –  GOLD

Campbeltown:
12 Years Old and Under:   27.72 Harbour-side Harmonies – SILVER
13-18 Years Old:               93.35 Men Wrestling on a Pebble Beach – BRONZE

Highland:
13-18 Years Old:                125.18 Chocolate Valentine – SILVER
Every, single cask a WINNER
As you know we never play favourite when it comes to our delicious single cask malts.  We believe every, single cask to be a winner – passed and approved by the Society Tasting Panel.  With 69 single casks available now in our online shop, why not pick yourself a champion choice.

There’s still time to register, you could WIN £50
If you haven’t already registered online with us a plethora of exciting features await.   Simply follow our guide to registering in our log-in section by clicking on the log-in help question marks.

If you register before Fri 2 Oct you stand a chance of winning a Society e-voucher you can redeem on the new site.  The first 10 names randomly drawn will each recieve a £50 e-voucher, the next 100 collecting £10 e-vouchers.

Visit http://www.smws.co.uk/ to join the Scotch Malt Whisky Society today!

Greetings to all Society members.   You may be wondering why on earth you are getting so many newsletters just now.    Well the sun is shining and we have news we wish to share with you,  as it  happens,  rather than giving you old news.

FROM FRANK

This week has been pretty hectic at Springbank Distillery as we are taking delivery of around 60 tonnes of barley which is being grown locally to Campbeltown.

The barley type is Westminster which is a recognised malting strain.   Grown by local farmer David Young at Langy farm on a south west facing field overlooking Machrihanish Bay,  the crop is very good.

The weather has been really kind over the past two weeks which has meant that the moisture content of the harvested barley is fairly low at arount 16 – 17%.

Stuart Robertson and his staff at the distillery have been kept busy receiving the barley and drying it in our kiln to a moisture level of 12% prior to puting it into storage where it will remain for at least the next three months.   After that time the barley should have come out of dormancy and be ready to malt.

During May and June 2010 this malted barley will be used to produce Springbank™, Longrow™ and Hazelburn™ spirit.

We are delighted with the news this week that Whisky Magazine has awared J & A Mitchell with “Distiller of the Year 2010”.    This is somewhat of a double celebration as Pete Currie was also voted “Young Brand Ambassador of the Year 2010” by Whisky Magazine.   Pete and Stuart Robertson were on hand in Glasgow last weekend to pick up the awards.

Springbank Distillery had to take some hard decisions a couple of years ago and decided to cut back in production mainly due tothe high cost of utilities and barley.   Some people in the distilling industry thought that this was a backward step and we did receive some criticism at that time.  We took the view that it was pointless distilling until prices stabalised.   That has now happened and we are continuing with production at both our distilleries.

Peter Currie has certainly made his mark during the time that he has spent with us and has become respected throughout the Whisky World as a Sales and Marketing Manager who has an in depth knowledge of Scotch Whisky.

Frank

HAIRY BIKERS

You may remember that the Hairy Bikers were featured in a recent newsletter, when they paid a visit to Springbank and filmed the distillery for part of their “foodie” programme.   The were presented with some Springbank which they promised they would use in one of their cooking “lessons”.   We have now been advised that the programme featuring Springbank will be aired on Friday 25th September on BBC 2,  “The Hairy Bikers” Food Tour of Britain”  which you will be able to watch again through i player

SOCIETY BOTTLE

Well, the jury is now out, the miniatures have been dispatched to the tasting panel, so when they have tasted, deliberated and decided, they will e mail their results to me and the cask which is deemed the “chosen one” will be gently set aside to await the printing of labels, then bottling.

That’s all our exciting news for this week.

If you have any comments, etc, as usual e mail me on society@springbankwhisky.com

Slainte

Janet
for Springbank Society

Please contact Janet via the above email address to join the Springbank Society.

http://www.springbankwhisky.com/

From Nick White, Managing Director, A. Dewar Rattray Ltd:

The awards of The Whisky Magazine’s annual Icon’s of Whisky and Independant Bottlers Challenge competiton were announced last week.
 
Dewar Rattray has again won a significant number of medals for our Dewar Rattray Cask Collection and the regional award for Islay:
 
Independent Bottler of the Year for Islay
 
Gold Medals:     

Bowmore 1991, #2060 (DRCC17)

                           Bunnahabhain 1976, #6223 (DRCC16)

                            Glenrothes 1990, #35460 (DRCC18)

                            Ben Nevis 1996, #1670 (DRCC16)

Silver Medals:   

Arran 1996, #723, (DRCC17)

                        Pulteney 1982, #502 (DRCC18) 

   
Bronze Medal:   

Dufftown 1976, #7753

 
We have also acheived the Winner in the Tastings, New Release, section in the current Whisky Magazine, Issue 82, for the Pulteney 1982, #502.