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THE MALT WHISKY TRAIL PREPARES WARM WELCOME FOR UK WHISKY LOVERS
The Malt Whisky Trail prepares for the welcome return of whisky lovers from across the UK from 26th April, as those dreaming of a dram are now able to journey across Scotland in line with the ease of travel restrictions and the gradual reopening of retail, hospitality and tourism.
Several centres of whisky excellence are readying to reopen their doors and welcome guests to shop, tour and taste from Monday including The Glenlivet, Glen Moray and Glen Grant.
Iain Allan, Board Member of The Malt Whisky Trail and Brand Ambassador and Visitor Centre Manager at Glen Moray Distillery, said:
“After a long winter in lockdown, distillery teams across The Trail are looking forward to greeting Speyside locals yearning for a daytrip as well as staycationers venturing from all over the UK. In addition to visiting some of the most world-renowned distilleries, tourists will have the opportunity to experience some of the best food, drink, and natural beauty Speyside has to offer.
“With special measures in place to ensure the safety of both visitors and staff, we’ve adjusted our services to ensure visitors are able to taste and purchase our whisky, be it in slightly smaller groups, or as part of a designated driver pack.
“For anyone planning to visit a site along The Trail, should contact sites directly to check opening details and book in advance as offerings will vary.”
Glenlivet, Strathisla and Glen Moray Distilleries will be reopening their retail shops as well as offering new outdoor tastings for visitors, while Glen Grant Distillery will be reopening their retail store for guests to purchase their favourite whiskies. Dallas Dhu, Strathisla, Speyside Cooperage, Benromach and Cardhu will announce their reopening schedule soon.
Scotland’s Speyside region is home to the highest concentration of distilleries in the world, and produces the highest volume of single malt globally, with three out of five visitors to the increasingly popular region coming for whisky tourism.
The Trail, made up of nine iconic whisky sites through the picturesque Moray Speyside region, takes visitors on a journey to discover the best of Malt Whisky Country including its landscape, larder and whisky. From visiting world-renowned to boutique distilleries, to learning a thing or two about the industry’s history from local whisky masters at sites such as the historic Dallas Dhu Distillery and the Speyside Cooperage, a variety of experiences are on offer.
For booking information prospective visitors should directly contact the sites on The Malt Whisky Trail ahead of travel. For all contact details please visit www.maltwhiskytrail.com/malt-whisky-country/distilleries
Notes:
Details on bookings and experiences available:
About the Malt Whisky Trail:
The Malt Whisky Trail® includes nine sites each with at least a four star visitor centre promoting the very best of Scottish hospitality and tourism. The trail consists of the following Speyside distilleries and a cooperage: Benromach, Cardhu, Dallas Dhu, Glen Grant, Glen Moray, Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet, Strathisla and Speyside Cooperage.
Visit www.maltwhiskytrail.com to plan your adventure along the Trail and create your own personal itinerary to prepare for the adventure of a lifetime.
Instagram and Facebook: @themaltwhiskytrail
Twitter: @TheMWT
This week saw the launch of whisky themed cartoons by Henry Philip. Henry worked in the whisky industry, before leaving his job last year to start an MSc in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University.
Combining his passion for whisky and drawing, Henry attempts to showcase the character of the Scottish people through his humorous drawings. When asked what inspires his drawings Henry said ‘Definitely the cheeky self deprecating sense of humour us Scots have. I like to look back at old whisky adverts that featured hand drawn cartoons, radiating that dry Scottish humour.’
Henry’s drawings can be seen on his website (www.whiskycartoons.co.uk). He’s chosen to partner with local framers ‘A&M Sproson’ in an attempt to showcase quality local business. Henry also does a monthly cartoon for the Ardnamurchan Distillery newsletter.
Glenallachie & Glenturret
Two new very high strength bottlings for For a’ That and a’ That.
Shop – Glenallachie 3 Year Old – £50 / €48 / $58 / c$74*
Glenallachie 3 Year Old 2016 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single refill hogshead bottled by The Whisky Barrel for the Burns Malt series. Glenallachie Distillery is a Speyside distillery sitting on the eastern edge of Ben Rinnes mountain where it is rather exposed to the elements and is often to be see sitting within the snowline. A modern building and its architect William Delmé-Evans created a distillery which is rather pleasing on the eye. Glenallachie was commissioned in 1967 with two stills which increased to four in 1989 in order to meet blenders ever increasing demand for Glenallachie malt whisky. Whilst official releases are few independent releases are more numerous with those from Signatory Vintage and Cadenheads proving popular.
Shop – Glenturret 6 Year Old – £50 / €48 / $58 / c$74*
Glenturret 6 Year Old 2014 vintage peated (Ruadh Maor) Highland single malt Scotch whisky. Single refill hogshead bottled by The Whisky Barrel for the Burns Malt series. Glenturret Distillery was established on the banks of the River Turret at Hosh to the north of Crieff in Scotland’s Highland whisky region in 1775. Now one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland and with mash in the mash tun stirred by hand using a long-handled wooden paddle and just two small stills it is also amongst the smallest. Glenturret whisky is released in a limited range of official single malts and is available from independent bottlers including Signatory Vintage and the MacPhail’s vintage Collection series. Glenturret Distillery is home to The Famous Grouse Experience.
LEARN THE PAST – CREATE THE FUTURE
First created by Bernard Walsh in 2007, The Irishman comprises a range of triple-distilled Irish Whiskeys, with an emphasis on Single Malt. The idea behind the Irishman is to learn from the past to create the future. This is through the recreation of age-old recipes which create unrivalled expressions for a new generation of Whiskey enthusiasts.
Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 379: Big T 1960 vs 2000s
Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, does a head-to-head. Big T is a blend with Tomatin as its fingerprint malt. Today Mark puts a release from the 1960s head-to-head with a recent release. It will not come as a surprise that they are very different.
Earth Day Champions: UK Introduces world’s largest American white oak repository and genome mapping study with Maker’s Mark®
LORETTO, Ky., (April 22, 2021) – This Earth Day 2021, the University of Kentucky is proud to announce the establishment of the world’s largest repository of American white oak as part of their groundbreaking effort with Maker’s Mark® to conserve, explore and secure the future of American white oak. The massive effort at Star Hill Farm, home to the iconic Maker’s Mark Distillery, represents the most comprehensive natural range of white oak to date anywhere in the world. The American white oak repository is part of a larger mission to transform the conservation of a species critical to many American industries, including Kentucky bourbon, and to prioritize the present and future of forests and rivers.
UK Department of Forestry and Natural Resources tree improvement specialist Laura DeWald is leading a project collecting more than 300 unique families of white oak from across the United States to plant at Star Hill Farm. The first planting took place on April 15, successive plantings over the next several years will result in the largest single white oak genetic repository in the United States. This repository will provide the foundation for research and tree improvement to address current and future threats to white oak trees and the millions of acres of forests they dominate. It will also support white oak-dependent industries that contribute billions of dollars to rural and urban economies across the region.
This American white oak repository is the second phase of an unparalleled collaboration between UK and Maker’s Mark, which also includes the world’s first comprehensive effort to map the white oak genome. Working with Maker’s Mark and the cooperage Independent Stave Company, the UK team is studying the genetics of the mother tree, called “MM1” at the Star Hill Farm, which is one of the oldest white oaks in Kentucky. It has been exposed to incredible climate variations and is estimated to be 300 to 500 years old. Data from this study will give UK, ISC and Maker’s Mark information about the longevity, disease resistance and vitality that American white oak can offer to the bourbon industry and beyond.
“We have lost or are fast losing some of our most valuable tree species in the U.S. such as ash, chestnut and elm due to disease and pests,” said Seth DeBolt, Beam Institute director. “This collaboration, the combination of the white oak genetic fingerprint and the germplasm planted solely at Star Hill Farm, will allow us to prepare for any future risk to this organism. In simple terms, if a risk arises, we can look for examples of natural variation within the germplasm that can tolerate new pests or even different climates. Maker’s Mark is absolutely leading the way in the bourbon industry when it comes to looking at the sustainable future of the natural resources used to make bourbon. If other threatened species had this level of support, we would have a huge leg up in protecting our ecosystems.”
Rob Samuels, eighth-generation whiskey producer at Maker’s Mark, said the distillery k is committed to the partnership.
“We’re so honored to work with the experts from UK who share a common passion with our team for ensuring the sustainable future of the American white oak, and we’re excited for Star Hill Farm to be the new home of this essential repository and study, in addition to the home of Maker’s Mark Bourbon,” he said. “At Maker’s Mark we are fully committed to going beyond the practice of being good stewards of the environment, as we aim to be one of the most environmentally conscious and beneficial brands in the world.”
“To do something like this that talks about the sustainability of a tree species, it will take a long time for the work being done here to come to fruition, so it takes a vision and commitment,” said Jeff Stringer, UK Forestry and Natural Resources department chair. “Maker’s Mark understands that. They have seen that vision and understand it and are in it for the long haul. They are willing to put in the effort and resources to make this work. It may take 50, 70, 90 years for any barrels to come from this research and that’s a long-term vision that many companies don’t have these days. Maker’s Mark does.”
The partnership between UK and Maker’s Mark began nearly two years ago as one piece of the iconic bourbon brand’s vision to protect and sustain natural resources by not only supporting the white oak forest, but regenerating forest production with healthy, sustainable and superior trees. This unique collaboration highlights the unparalleled passion and emphasis that Maker’s Mark is pushing forward to protect the state’s natural resources, which will be vital to the future of bourbon, Kentucky’s signature beverage.
“The commitment of Maker’s Mark and Independent Stave Company will substantially improve the sustainability of this species, other forest species and this signature industry,” said Nancy Cox, UK vice president for land-grant engagement and dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “We cannot thank them enough for their partnership, vision and sense of community.”
UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, through its land-grant mission, reaches across the commonwealth with teaching, research and extension to enhance the lives of Kentuckians.
Tasting Notes
Rich notes of manuka honey, Madagascan vanilla and custard tarts harmonising with a cacophony of kiwi, coconut and pear drops.
About Jazzed
We are thrilled to announce another collaborative whisky bottling with jazzed!
Many of the greatest Jazz legends enjoyed a good scotch; Herbie Hancock appeared on posters for Chivas Regal, and despite being signed by Jack Daniel’s, Frank Sinatra was much fonder of a single malt.
Jazzed is the world’s first app dedicated to jazz, soul and blues where you can listen, watch and read. Explore over 50 hand curated audio-channels. Search and listen to over 10 million tracks, read articles, watch videos and gain exclusive access to jazzed Live, streaming artists from iconic jazz clubs worldwide.
The Event – Live Stream From Jazz Cafe
We’ll be showcasing our bottling at the first in a new series of jazzed Live shows. Airing exclusively on the jazzed app on International Jazz Day, Friday 30th April at 8pm, it stars pianist and composer and Snarky Puppy band member Bill Laurance in an intimate live performance from the Jazz Café London.
– All you have to do is order your bottle and your account will be set up and sent to you! –
About Aberfeldy
Built on the banks of the River Tay in the Scottish Highlands, Aberfeldy Distillery produces an unusually honeyed and delicate whisky. It’s been operating since 1898, and produced whisky for Dewar’s Blend which is a staple of bars the world over. Very rarely sipped as a Single malt, let alone aged until 28-years-old, this single cask is very special indeed.
Strictly limited to 234 bottles and aged in an ex-bourbon cask that was filled back in 1991, our Aberfeldy is bottled at a natural cask strength of 47.7%.
£270.00
(inc UK Delivery & jazzed Premium Membership worth £70)
New Expressions of Courage & Conviction: Now Available Nationwide 🥃
We’re excited to announce that new offerings of Courage & Conviction American Single Malt whisky have arrived for online purchase in Virginia as well as 40+ states through our 3rd party partner.
Each expression is an American Single Malt whisky, aged a minimum of three years on-site at our distillery in Lovingston, Virginia. Get FREE SHIPPING on orders over $100.
Our Dedication to Nancy Fraley
We’re extremely proud to announce that this batch is named in honor of Nancy Fraley. As a Master Blender and International Consultant, Nancy has been a wonderful mentor to our team at Virginia Distillery Co. over the years.
Learn about everything that went into this batch, including when the spirit was distilled, the time in barrels, angel’s share, bottling run timing, sensory notes, and much more.
Join Us Thursday on Facebook Live
If you’d like to learn more about the nuances of each whisky, join us for a virtual whisky tasting via Facebook Live on Thursday, April 29th at 7pm ET.
We’ll be discussing tasting notes, the differences between each expression, and have a Q&A session with the team. We’re looking forward to spending some time with you over a dram.
Virginia Distillery Company
299 Eades Ln
Lovingston, VA 22949
The latest edition of Whisky Magazine, issue #175, publishes very soon!
This issue looks at how whisky brings us together, what really drives our love of the spirit and how we can keep this community thriving for many years to come. From collecting vintage drams, to shaping the future of those yet to come, this issue examines exactly what makes our whisky family just that – a family.
We’ve also got our usual tempting assortment of tasting reviews of whiskies from around the world, alongside features, interviews, distillery focuses, and more.
We hope you enjoy this issue!
Christopher Coates
Editor
Whisky Magazine
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Haven’t got your hands on a copy of issue #175 yet?
