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This week, Glenugie! an unusual distillery that started out as Invernettie in 1831. Like most of it’s kind, many name changes and many different owners later, the doors closed in 1983. This Signatory bottling is 57.2% with a 100 month, Oloroso cask finish. That’s not a typo, 100 month finish at 33YO
#StayHome
Old Pulteney, The Maritime Malt, offer a novel way to relieve cabin fever while social distancing, bringing the outdoors inside with a 15-minute video soundtrack to transport listeners to the coast.
With the UK asked to stay at home, Old Pulteney, The Maritime Malt have launched From Couch to Coast – a bespoke video soundscape which will virtually transport listeners from the confines of their home to the whisky’s quiet coastal hometown of Wick, located on Scotland’s most northerly shores.
The simple pleasure of experiencing the sea breeze on your face, rolling waves and sand crunching beneath the feet is off the cards while the UK adjusts to the important job of social distancing and staying home to protect one another.
But while most can’t use their daily walk to visit the sea, From Couch to Coast is designed to help people embrace the benefits of ‘blue space’ – the popular theory that being near bodies of water can improve overall wellbeing – from the comfort of their own home.
The resulting video soundscape is just over 15 minutes long and captures an assembly of natural sounds from Old Pulteney’s hometown. The sounds of tranquil lapping sea waves and the chirping of local wildlife are combined with the rhythmic tempo of the team crafting Old Pulteney’s fine single malt, making for the perfect easy listening alongside a dram.
Available on YouTube and the Old Pulteney website, the soundtrack is set against stunning footage capturing the natural beauty of Wick. With sweeping golden beaches and towering cliffs, the harbour town is a key destination on the popular NC500 – a scenic 500-mile road trip route – and has been the home of Old Pulteney since it rolled its very first barrels there in 1826.
Malcolm Waring, Manager at Pulteney Distillery, said:
“Our distillery team are fortunate to be able to enjoy the sea breeze while still adhering to the important job of social distancing at home in Wick. It’s just the ticket for cabin fever, but we know lots of people just can’t get to the coast right now. That’s why we wanted to bring a taste of the sea to all, transporting people to the tranquil sights and sounds of the home of The Maritime Malt. It’s especially useful for those who are adjusting to working from home. It’s hard to switch off from a long day at the office when the office is your house but our Couch to Coast soundtrack is the perfect anecdote.”
From Couch to Coast is ideal to enjoy alongside a dram of Old Pulteney 12 Years Old, which is available to buy at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and all other major retailers. RRP £35.
BUFFALO TRACE NAMED GLOBAL ICONS OF WHISKY VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR 2020 BY WHISKY MAGAZINE
FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (April 7, 2020) – Whisky Magazine has named Buffalo Trace Distillery the global Icons of Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year 2020. This designation follows the Icons of Whisky America awards presented in February in which Buffalo Trace was named the American Visitor Attraction of the Year and American Distiller of the Year. Buffalo Trace competed against counterparts from all over the world to receive the global title, which was announced via Facebook on March 26.
In January, Buffalo Trace announced that it welcomed nearly 300,000 visitors over the course of 2019; a record-breaking 35 percent increase over the previous year. The Distillery is now currently working on an expansion of its Visitor Center, which will ultimately triple the size of the current space. This renovation comes just five years after its last Visitor Center expansion, and is anticipated to be complete later this year.
“We are so thankful to be recognized as the best visitor attraction on a global level,” Meredith Moody, homeplace development director said. “This is a huge honor for us as we are continually striving to enhance our visitor experience, from the content of our tours and gift shop selection to the appearance of our grounds, and even to our virtual visitor endeavors such as our downloadable virtual tour led by fan favorite Freddie Johnson. Our team works hard to offer an exceptional visitor experience, even when guests are not able to physically come to the Distillery.”
In the wake of COVID-19, Buffalo Trace is focusing on remaining in contact with fans through curated social media posts that enable fans to enjoy the Distillery from the safety and comfort of home. On its Facebook and Instagram pages, the Distillery is giving virtual tours of different parts of the Distillery, posting cocktail recipes that can be made at home, and sharing plenty of video clips to binge watch during quarantine.
While tours and visits have been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19, work on the visitor center expansion is continuing. Once complete, the expanded Visitor Center will allow Buffalo Trace to further develop its visitor experience with new tour routes, tasting and events spaces and archive exhibits. More information about Buffalo Trace’s Visitor Center expansion can be found here.
For more information about the Icons of Whisky visit www.iconsofwhisky.com
About Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 35 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by “Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018” and its William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac were named 2nd and 3rd finest whiskeys in the world, respectively, in the “Jim Murray Whiskey Bible 2020.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 1,000 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.
Located in the Scottish Highlands, Deanston distillery consistently produces excellent and affordable single malts that are occasionally overlooked. Founded in 1964, the site is a former cotton mill built in the late 1700’s. Ahead of the game in terms of sustainability, Deanston distillery is one of the greenest in the industry, and is entirely powered by water turbines. Deanston spirit is unpeated, sweet, and waxy. The core range is predominantly matured in ex-Bourbon casks, resulting in a sweet, creamy single malt with flavours of vanilla and citrus fruits.
In 2013, Deanston was purchased by South African drinks giant Distell. Major investment in the distillery has led to improved quality, variety, and visibility for the brand. International acclaim and a host of awards have followed. Now a rising star, Deanston is one of the most improved distilleries of the past decade with an enviable portfolio of core range and limited release whiskies.
BROWSE OUR FULL DEANSTON RANGE HERE
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Virginia Distillery Company Releases First American Single Malt in its ‘Courage & Conviction’ Series
LOVINGSTON, Va. (April 2, 2020) – “Always have the courage of your convictions,” was a phrase often repeated by Virginia Distillery Company’s late founder Dr. George G. Moore to reinforce the importance of believing in yourself and your ideas.
Dr. Moore’s vision and credo becomes a reality with the launch of the distillery’s first American Single Malt in the “Courage & Conviction” product line this month. As an ode to the company’s founder, the first batch of the flagship offering of Courage & Conviction is dedicated to Dr. George G. Moore.
Courage & Conviction whiskies are distilled on-site using 100% North American malted barley and mountain spring-fed water. The just-released flagship whisky is matured in old world sherry casks, traditional bourbon barrels and re-coopered cuvée wine casks which adds intensity and complexity to the spirit. Additional releases will feature individual bottles of each casks, slated for later this year.
Aged a minimum of three years, the American Single Malt line is produced at the distillery’s 100-acre property in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Nelson County, Virginia. The state’s pronounced temperature swings between winter and summer accelerate the maturation of the Courage & Conviction series.
Coinciding with the rollout of the Dr. George G. Moore batch of Courage & Conviction, Virginia Distillery Company is premiering batch.info, a website hub that includes distillate and cask data, as well as bottling and process information for consumers.
Consumers who want to learn more about Courage & Conviction are invited to join Virginia Distillery Company on Wednesday, April 15 from 5:30-6 p.m. EST for a virtual tasting with Virginia Distillery Company CEO Gareth Moore. The tasting, which will be held on Facebook Live, is a part of a Whisky Wednesday series the distillery is conducting every Wednesday throughout the month of April. The distillery will be sharing more information about the tastings on its social media channels.
“The launch of the Courage & Conviction product line is a culmination of years of hard work and dedication from our staff,” said Virginia Distillery Company’s CEO Gareth H. Moore. “I am proud to work alongside my mother Angela, my wife Maggie and the Virginia Distillery Company team to make my father’s dream a reality. Our new line sets a new standard for American whisky and we believe it rivals the finest whiskies in the world. But most importantly, I know it’s a whisky my dad would be proud of.”
The first batch of Courage & Conviction features notes of caramel and butterscotch and evolves on the palate with hints of raspberry, cocoa, barrel spice and vanilla. Additional nuances of the Dr. George G. Moore batch include aromas of salted caramel and milk chocolate, with orange zest and notes of toffee and cinnamon. The finish is creamy and exceptionally smooth. Bottling for the inaugural batch took place between February and March of this year. A total of 9,600 bottles were produced.
Each bottle in the Courage & Conviction line features a removable magnetic medallion keepsake representing the distillery’s seal of approval.
Virginia Distillery Company’s Courage & Conviction flagship batch retails for $74.99. The American Single Malt, along with the distillery’s other products, are available in a number of states throughout the U.S. and can be ordered online at www.vadistillery.com.
About Virginia Distillery Company
Staffed by a local Virginia team mentored by Scottish consultants with decades of experience, Virginia Distillery Company is the largest dedicated American Single Malt whisky distillery in the U.S. The distillery has a current annual production volume of 80,000 4.5L cases and growing. At full capacity, the distillery can produce over 8,000 casks yielding 350,000 4.5L cases annually. The distillery produces Courage & Conviction American Single Malt on-site using malted barley from North America and water from Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition, the distillery offers the award-winning Virginia-Highland Whisky series, made with 100% malted barley. Showcasing both Old and New World whisky-making, the award-winning line marries whisky made on-site in Virginia with whisky from Scotland.
Help us say hello to the first batch of expressions from Single Malts of Scotland that are exclusive to the U.S.!
Seeking out the finest single casks of Scotch whisky is at the heart of the Elixir Distillers philosophy. Since 2005 The Single Malts of Scotland brand has bottled a range of superb vintage Single Malt Scotch whiskies selected from distilleries across Scotland for their individual quality and character.
The first run launched in the U.S. includes 10 carefully chosen casks, including bottlings from famous distilleries such as Caol Ila, Imperial, Glenrothes, and Ben Nevis. The releases are each limited runs, with casks yielding between 92 and 607 bottles, and will be exclusive to the U.S. market. The intention is to launch two runs of releases per year.
Check out below, we’ve grouped them by age. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did when each expression had to win the approval of our whole team.
TEENS
Caol Ila 10 – Distilled in 2009 and aged in a single hogshead, yielding only 298 bottles at 58.3%.
Linkwood 12 – This 2007 vintage single malt was distilled at Linkwood and aged in a hogshead which yielded only 246 bottles at 55.8% abv.
Glen Elgin 13 – This whisky from Glen Elgin was distilled in 2006 and aged for over 13 years in a single ex-Bourbon barrel, yielding 156 54.1% abv bottles.
Ledaig 14 – This Ledaig single cask single malt was distilled on the Isle of Mull in 2005 and aged for over 14 years in a Sherry butt which yielded 607 bottles at 55.4%
TWEENS
Glenburgie 21 – Distilled in 1998, this Glenburgie single malt was aged in a hogshead for over two decades before being bottled in 2019 at 55.2%, yielding 251 bottles.
Ardmore 21 – Distilled in 1998 and aged in a hogshead for over two decades. Only 247 bottles were produced at 50.2% abv.
Ben Nevis 23 – Distilled in 1996, this Highland single malt was aged in a Sherry butt that yielded 405 bottles in total at 52.7% abv.
Mortlach 26 – This well-aged Mortlach was distilled in 1993 and aged in a single hogshead which yielded only 134 bottles at a whopping 60.5% abv.
THIRTIES
Glenrothes 30 – Spending just over three decades in a single hogshead which yielded a tiny 92 bottles. And at 41.9% abv, the angels definitely took their share of this expression.
Imperial 30 – Distilled in 1998 and aged for over three decades in an ex-Bourbon barrel, this rarity from a closed-down distillery is a fine example of its refined, floral style. Only 172 43.3% bottles produced from this cask means that people will want to snap it up promptly.
Please feel free to reach out for more details on the bottlings: office@impexbev.com
We’re encouraging you to get creative in the kitchen this month, using the endless flavours found in Society whiskies to match to – well, whatever food you fancy really!
Whether you’re making the most of having more time in the kitchen at the moment, or just getting to grips with store cupboard basics, we’ll have a recipe to suit you.
This week, we’ve enlisted our executive chef James Freeman, head of the award-winning team at 28 Queen Street, to suggest some impressive dishes and whisky matches to excite your taste buds this weekend.
OUTTURN HUB ALL OUTTURN BOTTLINGS
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ
Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information
This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!
Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video
Located on the South East of Islay, Ardbeg has been producing powerful, complex, heavily peated whiskies since 1815. Once prized by blenders, the distillery is now known for its exceptional single malts. The whiskies are rich, powerful and oily, with masses of smoke and a characteristic sweetness. The combination of rich sooty/tarry smoke and a sweet, citric core, gives the whisky a unique balance of flavour. These pungent, intensely flavoured whiskies are not to everyone’s taste, but are admired by lovers of smoky whiskies everywhere. Ardbeg is, perhaps, the ultimate cult distillery!
BROWSE OUR FULL ARDBEG RANGE HERE
