Join the Springbank Society Ballot for

28yo Springbank Tasting Pack
& Springbank 8yo Fresh Oloroso

The Ballot Opens Monday 7th June, 12pm BST

On the 7th and 8th of June we are running ballots for our Springbank 28yo Tasting Packs and our new Springbank 8yo fresh oloroso release.  These products are exclusive to society members through our Experience.Springbank.scot website.

Ballot 1

4 x 2cl samples of 28yo Springbank &
1x Springbank 8yo Fresh Oloroso 57.3% (70cl)

Ballot Opens Monday 7th of June

Quantity: 610

£90 (inc VAT)

Ballot 2

1x Springbank 8yo Fresh Oloroso 57.3% (70cl)

Ballot Opens Tuesday 8th of June

Quantity: 1,220

£55 (inc VAT)

The first ballot for 610 bottles and tasting packs will open on Monday 7th June at 12pm BST and close 24 hours later. You can enter the Ballot 1 at any time throughout this 24 hour period – all entries will have an equal chance of being successful. If you are unsuccessful in Ballot 1 you will have the opportunity to enter Ballot 2 for one of the remaining 1,220 Springbank 8yo bottles. Similar to Ballot 1, you will also have 24 hours to enter Ballot 2. Duplicate entries will not be accepted – members making multiple entries for a single ballot will be disqualified from all ballots. On entry of the ballot, you will follow the standard checkout process and prepayment will be taken from your card for both the product and the shipping to your address. All successful entries will be notified via email and payment taken automatically from the card used for guarantee. If there is an issue with your payment or payment method you will be emailed to confirm payment information, and you will have 24 hours to respond to the email and complete your order. The ballot process for Canadian members will run separately. If you are based in Canada, please do not enter this ballot.

To join the Springbank Society contact them at society@springbank.scot

The past few decades have seen huge changes in whisky and this carefully curated tasting set dives into that recent history and gives you the chance to taste your way through the special spirits that have created the modern whisky world. Twenty whiskies, a tasting book and a pair of glasses – the perfect set to help you embark on a journey of whisky exploration and discovery.

20 Whiskies that Changed the World can serve as an educational whisky guide or a delicious whisky cabinet to dip into and enjoy whenever the mood takes you. The whiskies are grouped into four themes and are arranged in tasting order, so you can either enjoy them at your leisure or taste them in four flights alongside the tasting book and specially made video guides.

20 carefully curated 3cl Perfect Measure samples of some of the finest whiskies available today from around the globe. A 52-page full-colour book with details of all the whiskies and why we chose them, as well as space for your own notes. A pair of Perfect Measure tasting glasses to make sure you can get the most out of each whisky – each sample is the perfect size to share.

Join us on a journey of discovery, finding out what makes old favourites special and uncovering new whiskies to continue your exploration of the world of fine spirits.

£160

ralfy review 879 Extras – Comments on GlenScotia ‘Victoriana’ single malt.

New Bourbon Trail™ Passport & Field Guide Offers Visitors The Ultimate Kentucky Bourbon Experience

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour is celebrating its 22nd birthday with a new Bourbon Trail™ Passport & Field Guide to help visitors plan and prepare for the ultimate journey behind America’s only native spirit.

The comprehensive guide contains 150 pages of information about the attraction, from maps and suggested itineraries to cocktail recipes, helpful tidbits, tasting notes and, of course, key data about participating distilleries on the KBT® and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour®.

And here’s the best part — Passport stamps now unlock access to special collectible bottles and private barrel selections, souvenir barware, tastings and other unique rewards at the 18 Kentucky Bourbon Trail® participating distilleries.

“This new guide is a must-have resource for Kentucky Bourbon tourists as they explore the rich history and heritage of our signature spirit,” said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association that founded the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® adventure in 1999.

“We’re really excited about all the rewards that now come with your Passport stamp. Visitors are clamoring for distinct bottles and exclusive souvenirs that they can only get in Kentucky. We listened, and our distilleries have worked hard to elevate their Kentucky Bourbon voyage.”

Adam Johnson, Senior Director of the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experiences, said Passport owners will be able to register their Field Guide online to receive the latest news and events happening at their favorite distilleries.

The guide also has detailed information about each distillery that will help visitors tailor their trip, such as whether the distillery has an on-site restaurant or cocktails available, accepts online reservations, produces other spirits besides Bourbon and more.

“The KBT program has evolved so much over the last 22 years,” Johnson said. “It’s more about savoring the Bourbon journey than a race to complete your Passport. This new book is a perfect companion piece that allows guests to celebrate our legendary Bourbon culture with ease.”

The new Passport & Field Guide is for sale starting Thursday at participating distilleries for the suggested retail price of $5.99. Passport & Field Guides also can be ordered now at the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® online shop at https://www.kybourbontrailshop.com.

“We are pleased to share with you an easy-to-use, fit-in-your-pocket, guide where you will discover Kentucky Bourbon is more than just a drink. It’s a way of life,” said Dee Ford, Chairwoman of the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Advisory Panel.

“This has been a year in the making and we appreciate all the passion and energy that KDA members have devoted to making it come true,” said Ford, who is Brand Home Manager at Angel’s Envy in Louisville . “We can’t wait for you to meet our makers and be our tasters.”

Proceeds from the sale go directly to KDA responsibility and sustainability initiatives. The Bourbon Trail Passport & Field Guide emphasizes the KDA’s commitment to responsible consumption with transportation tips, tasting guidelines and visitor best practices.

“The KBT may have just come of legal age, but our industry has a long-standing commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of alcohol,” said Sara Barnes, KDA Director of Industry Responsibility and Sustainability.

“Visitors can purchase one of our new guides knowing that proceeds will help continue that pledge and also fund research and initiatives to ensure the sustainable stewardship of wood, water and grains that are vital to our communities and our future.”

The new Bourbon Trail™ Passport & Field Guide also features the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour®, which the KDA created in 2012 as the nation’s first and only tourism attraction to showcase the state’s flourishing boutique distilleries.

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® includes 19 participating distilleries, with many more on the way. Visitors who complete each of its four territories earn a collectible challenge coin.

Fans who tour all stops get a custom barrel stave to display their coins.

“The new Passport & Field Guide also will serve as a go-to planning tool for our Craft Tour visitors as well,” Johnson said. “The challenge coins have been very popular for people who are taking the deeper dive into our craft distilleries.”

Johnson said visitors have until Dec. 31 to use old Passports to both the KBT® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® experiences. For more information on the Passport programs, go to https://kybourbontrail.com/field-guide/.

KDA President Gregory said look for more news soon as the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tours continue to expand with more stops, more merchandise for visitors (and finishers) and more benefits for Passport holders.

“There are so many ways to enjoy Kentucky Bourbon and even more to experience our culture and craft. As Adam said, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® is a journey, a quest. And there’s only one true and authentic home for Bourbon – Kentucky. The proof is here.”

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the legendary voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from historic, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s landmark economic engine and its thriving, timeless craft. Member benefits include media relations, international trade development, private sampling events, technical assistance, economic development support, networking, legal defense, marketing strategies, governmental and regulatory advocacy and innovative tourism experiences through the KDA’s world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® adventures. A 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, the KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. Learn more at www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com 

JUDGES AWARD BARTON 1792 DISTILLERY SPIRITS WITH THREE DOUBLE GOLD MEDALS AT WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

            BARDSTOWN, kENTUCKY (May 25, 2021) – Three spirits produced at Barton 1792 Distillery were awarded Double Gold medals at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, meaning each spirit received Gold medal ratings from every member on the judging panel during the judging process. Out of a record-breaking 3,500 entries from all corners of the world, ten Barton 1792 Distillery spirits were awarded medals. Each entry was subject to rounds of blind tastings and individual evaluation on both taste and design by judges.

“We are humbled to receive recognition for our spirits,” Master Distiller Danny Kahn said. “These awards would not be possible without our team’s unwavering commitment to top-quality whiskey.”

Double Gold Medals went to:

• 1792 Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Early Times Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Gold Medals went to:

• 1792 Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• 1792 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Thomas S. Moore Port Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Silver Medals went to:

• 1792 Aged 12 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Thomas S. Moore Cabernet Sauvignon Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Thomas S. Moore Chardonnay Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Bronze Medals went to:

• Early Times Kentucky Whiskey

For more information on the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, visit sfspiritscomp.com.

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands.  Barton Brands has facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, an American family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” The Distillery is located on 196 acres and includes 28 warehouses, 22 other buildings, the Morton Spring and the Tom Moore Spring.  Distilling, aging and bottling fine Bourbon whiskey are hallmarks of the historic Barton 1792 Distillery. 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery and is named for the year Kentucky became a state. The Distillery has garnered a number of prestigious awards for its whiskies, including its 1792 Full Proof, which was named the World Whiskey of the Year for 2020.  To learn more visit www.1792bourbon.com.

ralfy review 879 – AnCnoc 18yo @ 46%vol: (2021)

Diageo’s iconic “ghost” distillery of Brora is reawakened after 38 years

We have reawakened the distillery following a painstaking three-year restoration as part of a £35million investment programme that will also see the equally iconic lost distillery of Port Ellen on Islay brought back into production.

For decades Brora has been viewed as one of the lost icons of the whisky world. During its time of closure, the distillery and its whisky gained legendary status among whisky connoisseurs the world over.

The restored distillery will now safeguard a sustainable future for Brora, with the installation of a biomass boiler powered by sustainably sourced wood chips from Northern Scotland.

“This is a new dawn for Brora – a distillery that is a beautiful new jewel in the crown of our portfolio in Scotland. I am particularly proud that Brora will be a carbon neutral distillery entirely powered by on-site renewable energy. This marks a major milestone on our journey to invest in Scotland, its rural communities and the future of Scotch whisky.”

Ewan Andrew President, Supply & Procurement

With stunning attention to heritage detail, the 202-year-old Brora stillhouse was taken down and rebuilt stone-by-stone exactly as it was when new in 1819, but now fit for another two centuries of production. The original Brora two classic copper pot stills were refurbished by our skilled coppersmiths.

Brora Master Distiller Stewart Bowman, who is a native to the Sutherland town and whose father was the last exciseman at the distillery, officially marked the launch by opening the Brora wildcat gates and filling the first cask of Brora spirit in more than 38 years.

“In 1983, my father wrote in an old distillery ledger ‘Commencement of Brora Distillery silent season (undetermined period)’. Growing up in the village we often wondered whether Brora would ever return, but today we filled the first cask. It is with great pride that I can now say to my father, the Brora community, and all the ‘old hands’ that worked at Brora and helped to craft a legendary whisky, that the stills are alive and we are making Brora spirit once again.”

Stewart Bowman Brora Master Distiller

Brora is among our smallest distilleries, capable of producing 800,000 litres of spirit each year, and will welcome visitors in small numbers on a by-appointment basis, bookable via Brora.com from July. Visits to the distillery will include tastings of rare Brora releases, including a new distillery exclusive bottling only available at Brora’s newly restored home: The Brora Distillery Collection: Hidden Beneath, a Brora 1982 39 Year Old.

It’s a big month for whisky – the legendary Brora distillery, dormant since 1983, has reopened its doors and fired up its stills once more.

To mark the occasion, Brora’s parent company, Diageo, has released the extremely limited-edition Brora Triptych – a trio of whiskies carefully crafted to showcase three different facets and eras of Brora’s smoky, Highland style: 1982 The Timeless Original, 1977 The Age of Peat and 1972 The Elusive Legacy.

Joining this impressive set of whiskies are a number of its compatriots from some of Diageo’s best-known distilleries, including a pair of well-aged drams from Talisker and a brand-new 54-year-old single malt from Singleton.

Released in 2021 to mark the momentous re-opening of Brora distillery, Triptych contains three incredible, rare whiskies from this legendary distillery.

1982 The Timeless Original is a 38-year-old single malt that shows off the distillery’s famous waxy character, with a very delicate low level of peat. Aromas of sherbet lemons and fresh green grass fill the nose, complemented by notes of oak spice, beeswax, citronella candles and gunpowder throughout the palate.

1977 The Age of Peat is from a time where Brora increased the amount of peat used in making their whiskies to meet the rising demand for blended whisky. Elegant aromas of creamy vanilla, beeswax and crunchy green apples fill the nose, complemented by notes of smouldering peat smoke, ginger cake, oak spice and heathery smoke throughout the palate.

1972 The Elusive Legacy is a 48-year-old single malt that shows off an elusive and rarely seen style of earthy, peaty whisky only made in a few brief periods throughout the distillery’s history. Aromas of oaky spice and peach cobbler fill the nose, complemented by notes of rich malt, serrano ham, tobacco, coal dust and earthy smoke throughout the palate.

CURIOSITY…
THE INVITATION TO ADVENTURE 

This year we’re marking Father’s Day by raising a toast to kinship. Celebrating fathers and families, sisters and brothers, friends and colleagues. And another love of ours, beer and Scotch whisky.

Join Compass Box founder John Glaser on June 27th as we delve into the roots of this age-old partnership, and discover a whole new world of flavour in the process.

A GIFT FOR THE OCCASION

As part of our event, we will be exploring beer pairings for three award-winning Compass Box whiskies: The Peat Monster, The Spice Tree, and The Story of the Spaniard.

Available in a black gift pack accented with gold trim (or for our friends in the US, a new design inspired by our much-beloved label art), The Malt Whisky Collection is a perfect present for a loved one with an inquisitive spirit.

In preparation, we’ve been sampling a range of different styles of beer to accompany our whisky, from toasty stouts, to nutty brown ales and puckering sours. So, if you know someone who isn’t afraid to experiment, and would be curious to see how these three distinct whiskies taste alongside different beers, be sure to pick up a Malt Whisky Collection gift pack and sign them up for
the event.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

Put the date in your diary: Sunday June 27th at 8pm BST (3pm EDT / 12pm PDT) and reserve your seat below. Join us with your whisky samples and stay tuned over the coming weeks as we share the beer pairings we’ll be tasting on the day to help you get prepared. You can follow our lead, or experiment with your own pairings. The choice is yours! If you have a favourite, please send it our way. We’d love to hear how you drink creatively.

We look forward to seeing you there…
The Compass Box Team