Gordon’s “A Spirit-ual Experience” Tasting 2019’s Biggest & Best Whisk(e)y & Spirits Event!

Gordon’s is proud to announce ticket sales are underway to our signature spirits walk-around tasting “A Spirit-ual Experience”, taking place on Sunday, September 22nd at Boston’s Artists for Humanity EpiCenter.

Since 2015, Ken Gordon and his world-class whisk(e)y team have hosted A Spirit-ual Experience, one of Massachusetts’ largest in-store spirits tastings, connecting connoisseurs with the world’s best distilleries. For the first time, we are moving A Spirit-ual Experience off-site to Boston’s innovative Artists for Humanity EpiCenter.

This year’s Spirit-ual Experience will feature over 300 of the world’s best spirits including whisk(e)y, tequila, rum, cordials, gin, local distilleries and, of course, Gordon’s Single Barrels!

Guests will enjoy 5 lounge experiences, gourmet food pairing stations, and live music in addition to over 50 tasting tables! Don’t miss this chance to raise a glass to the Distiller’s Art with Gordon’s!

Featured Distilleries/Brands include The Glenlivet, Pernod Ricard, Beam Suntory, Old Pulteney, 375 Park Ave Spirits, Diageo, William Grant & Sons, GHOST Tequila & many more!

Go to gordonswine.com for a full list of participating brands/distilleries and pre-event whisk(e)y dinners & seminars!

Gordon’s “A Spirit-ual Experience” At A Glance:

Date: Sunday, September 22nd from 2-5PM (1PM VIP Entrance) Event Capacity: 400

Location: Artists for Humanity EpiCenter 100 W 2nd St, Boston, MA 02127 Ticket Price: General Admission: $85.00 VIP Admission: $150.00 Ticket Sales Link: https://www.gordonswine.com/event/gordon-s-a-spirit-ual-experience-2019-09-22-18-00-00.html

About Gordon’s Fine Wine & Liquors:

For over 85 years and four generations, Gordon’s has been the leading purveyor of fine wines, spirits and craft beer in New England. We pride ourselves on offering outstanding products at the best prices while maintaining topnotch service.

With a wide range of beverage services such as exclusive email offers, private barrel whiskey selections, corporate events and beverage catering, and a wine storage facility, Gordon’s has proven to be a cutting-edge retailer. Our success has always been built on our ability to form long lasting relationships with our customers.

We’ve had some rather excellent whisky arrive at The Whisky Exchange in the last fortnight – not only have we seen the next wave of our 20th anniversary exclusives hit shelves, but a limited-edition from Jura, a heavily-sherried Strathisla and more. Saluti!

Kilchoman 11 Year Old
Single Cask TWE Exclusive

£99.95

BUY NOW

Aged in a single ex-bourbon cask for the entirety of its 11-year maturation, this sweet, smoky dram blends notes of citrus, smoked almonds, bacon and butter cream. We’re thrilled to add it to our line-up of 20th anniversary exclusives.

Jura 212
Limited Edition

£88.95

BUY NOW

Limited to just 6000 bottles worldwide, the ‘212’ in this bottle’s name refers to the 212 residents of the isle of Jura. Aged for thirteen years and finished in North American Chinkapin Oak casks, the 212’s character is dominated by sweet fruits, fresh citrus and just a touch of toasted oak and spice.

Highland Park 2001 G&M
Connoisseurs Choice TWE Exclusive

£130

BUY NOW

Another exclusive bottling to celebrate 20 years of The Whisky Exchange, this cask-strength Highland Park has aged gracefully in a first-fill bourbon cask, resulting in ripe tropical fruit notes to balance its gentle smoke, a flourish of menthol and some malty, milk-chocolate notes.

Caol Ila 2005 G&M
Connoisseurs Choice TWE Exclusive

£93.95

BUY NOW

Classic Caol Ila citrus fruit and smoke lead the charge in this single refill sherry-cask matured Islay, accompanied by sweet vanilla notes and darker, earthier flavours of cocoa and coffee – yet another great dram bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange’s 20th anniversary.

Strathisla 2003
15 Year Old Sherry Cask

£94.95

BUY NOW

Single-cask Speyside matured for fifteen years in a single, first-fill sherry cask. Expect classic Strathisla flavours dialled up to eleven – rich toffee, stewed fruit and heaps of rich sherry character. One of just 960 bottles.

Sometimes selecting the perfect whisky is easy, it’s the one that makes you smile and chuckle. We couldn’t help noticing these entertaining whiskies still available in our online shop. Whether you’re Prawn to be wild or on The chocolate and wine diet, these wonderfully titled whiskies are sure to uplift the spirits and spark conversation among friends.

FIND YOUR FUNNY            NEW OUTTURN

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

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 271: Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, crosses the pond to the USA. Bulleit (pronounce it like the ammunition) was marketed between 1830 and 1860 by Augustus Bulleit, but when he passed away, so did the brand. Tom Bulleit, the great-great-grandson of Augustus, revived the brand in 1987. Bulleit is doing so well, that Diageo purchased the brand. Next to their Straight Bourbon Whiskey, they also have a 95 Rye and – more recently – this 10 Year Old. That’s good fun. While most distilleries move away from an age statement, Bulleit goes the other way.

https://youtu.be/U9KPz1sN9_g

What’s going on with Johnnie Walker?

Johnnie Walker has launched yet a new dram, this time a variation of Green Label blended malt, this one with a greater influence of smoky whisky from Caol Ila distillery on Islay, this unaged blend includes Clynelish, Glenkinchie and Cardhu (it sounds very Game of Thrones!). JW Island Green will be available in one-litre bottles for around £40. What does that price tell me about this whisky? That it’s no that good, it’s cheap!

Then we come to the Johnnie Walker Black Label Origin Series (not Black or Double Black) – a range from the ‘four corners’ of Scotland. This limited-edition range (limited to what? 20,000 bottles of each? Diageo wouldnee say on the quantity of the ‘limited edition’, only that the range will not be repeated, they probably won’t need to after a flood!) comprises Islay, Highlands, Lowlands and Speyside expressions, all 12 years of age. The Islay, Highlands and Speyside Origin whiskies are all blended malts, while the Lowlands Origin is a blended Scotch whisky, combining malt with grain whisky from Cameronbrig (Haig). All are 42% abv, RRP of £35 per one-litre bottle, more cheap stuff. The whole range will be rolled out globally in 2020. The Islay Origin expression uses 100% refill casks to avoid ‘too much woodiness’ (less taste eh!), while the Highlands Origin expression features ex-European oak and ex-Sherry casks.

So, just how many different JW bottlings are there out there? Not only these, but the existing stuff, all the usual suspects, travel retail/duty free and Game of Thrones. A vast super loch that could fill Loch Ness! Johnnie Walker brand is the globally best-selling Scotch, output in excess of 20 million cases per annum. For years Johnnie Walker offered Red Label and 12-year-old Black Label, but now also includes Double Black, Gold Label Reserve, Platinum and Blue Label – a number of bottles have escaped, including a King George V edition, remember Jane Walker? A 2015 Limited Edition, Explorers’ Club Collection, which includes The Spice Road and The Gold Route. Johnnie also has ‘Houses’ in a number of Asian cities, such as Shanghai, Beijing, Mumbai, Seoul and Taipei, with another destined for Edinburgh. Which way is Johnnie walking now? Paul McLean, Perth 2019.

A personal blether from Paul McLean whiskytours.scot

Beam Suntory Investing $60 Million in Clermont, Reintroducing the James B. Beam Distilling Co.

New Scotch and Bourbon Study & Certification Program Announced

The Council of Whiskey Masters​ in Los Angeles is introducing a dedicated certification program for whiskey. Two separate Level 1 tracks, Certified Scotch Professional (CSP)​ and Certified Bourbon Professional (CBP)​, are now open for student enrollment.

While several organizations have offered credentialing programs for spirits, no specialized and rigorous self study program has been available globally for Scotch or Bourbon, nor for whiskey in general. The market gap to offer a credential program that can gain the same industry trust as the leading wine and sommelier certifications can hereby be filled.

With growing interest for Scotch and Bourbon, beverage professionals and hobbyist can formalize their dedication to whiskey through a demanding study and examination program, from anywhere in the world.

Candidates enrolled in the CSP​ or CBP​ programs (Level 1) receive a detailed 100-page study guide to prepare for the exam. The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions, with an exam time of 1 hour. Passing grade is 80%. Exam dates are offered 4 times a year in local exam centers everywhere in the United States, Europe and Canada. Candidates receive a diploma and a lapel pin upon passing the exam, and may carry the corresponding postnominal after their name.

Passing either Level 1 exam (Scotch track or Bourbon track) allows candidates to register for the comprehensive Certified Whiskey Specialist​ (CWS;​ Level 2) exam, and they can later proceed to the Master of Scotch​ (SM​, Level 3) and Master of Whiskey​ (WM​, Level 4) levels.

Program and registration information, as well as curriculum overview and sample exam questions, can be found at www.WhiskeyMasters.org.

Contact email: Office@ScotchMasters.org

SUMMARY

Master of Whiskey – Study and Certification Program
Level 1: Certified Scotch Professional (CSP)​ OR Certified Bourbon Professional (CBP)
(open for enrollment now)
Level 2: Certified Whiskey Specialist (CWS)
Level 3: Master of Scotch (SM)
Level 4: Master of Whiskey (WM)

Glenrothes 22 Year Old 1997 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whiskey. Single cask sherry puncheon #7168 bottled April 2019 by Morrison & MacKay for the Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Black Gold series. 590 numbered bottles.

GLENROTHES 22 YEAR OLD 1997 CARN MOR BLACK GOLD #7168

Shop £360.00

Glenrothes Distillery was established in the narrow valley of the Rothes Burn on the west side of Rothes in the Speyside whisky region by James Stuart & Co. in 1878. This is a large malt whiskey distillery owned by Berry Bros & Rudd of London, with eighteen washbacks, ten copper stills singing in their own mighty cathedral and has retained its traditional pagoda roof. Popular distillery releases include Glenrothes 1995, 1998 and Glenrothes Peated.

AUGUST AUCTION NOW LIVE!
(ends Sunday 25th August)

…place your bids at www.whiskyhammer.co.uk

With an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits there is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest, enjoy!