THE LOWLAND DELIGHTS OF AUCHENTOSHAN

Often overlooked, the Lowlands have a tremendous experience to offer. Specifically – an elegant drinking experience for those that actually love to drink their whisky, not just watch it collect dust on the shelf. Featured here is one of our favorite Lowland distilleries: Auchentoshan. The only Scottish malt to be 100% triple distilled, the entire lineup screams elegance and harmony. That’s not to say the whiskies are all light, which is often the notion regarding lowland malts. The base of all Auchentoshan expressions, the unpeated new malt spirit, is light and fruity with a beautiful character reminiscent of a fresh farmhouse ale, complete with a full complement of stone fruit notes and lovely baked-bread aromas. This is the DNA of Auchentoshan – a clean, bright, and fruity malt. This lighter bodied spirit plays very well in a wide variety of casks, but has the intensity of flavor to stand up to even boldest of sherry casks and still hold its character.

Auchentoshan Three Wood Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($56.99)

One of the most impressive bottlings in Auchentoshan’s line up is the humble Three Wood. Filled in three different barrel types, this dram showcases American Bourbon casks, Spanish Oloroso butts, and unctuous Pedro Ximenez casks. This cask regimen does several things. The bourbon highlights the inherent fruity, vanilla cake, and creme brulee character of the spirit. The Olorosso adds gobs of cocoa, nuttiness, and toffee. And of course, the PX dials up a beautiful sweetness, intensity, and raisined fruits. While this triple casks regime adds layers of complexity, body, and richness, it also belies the notion that Lowland whisky is light and simple. At just $56.99 this is a shameless sherry dram for everyday enjoyment. While the Lowlands does have some highly coveted bottles, it’s this kind of easy enjoy-ability that makes it such a special place for whisky.

Auchentoshan “Bartender’s Malt – Edition 1” Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($44.95)

Equally as noteworthy is the “Bartender’s Malt – Edition 1.” Auchentoshan named this whisky the “Bartender’s Malt” because it was designed and blended by a team of twelve different bartenders from all over the world who helped to select the barrels. Here’s the really compelling part: they used single malt whisky from the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s, 2000s, and current decade in the blend, from ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry, ex-wine, and even German oak barrels! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: innovative blends like this are what’s going to drive the business forward, especially in a market where single barrel pricing is proving to be cost prohibitive and access is getting more and more difficult. For a very affordable price, this is a drinker’s whisky. It is absolutely jam-packed with sweet barley flavor, loads of vanilla, spicy ginger, candied orange peel, and a symphony of oak and baking spices on the finish that light up your mouth for minutes with distinct and supple flavors of milk chocolate. Bottled at 47% ABV, it’s got punch as well.

ARRON GRENDON PROVIDES A MASTERCLASS IN TEAM SPIRIT TO RECEIVE THE 2018 CHIVAS MASTERS CROWN

THAILAND BARTENDER WINS THIS YEAR’S CHIVAS MASTERS GLOBAL FINAL BY SHOWCASING THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY IN BARTENDING

Chivas Regal has crowned Arron Grendon from Tropic City in Bangkok, Thailand, the 2018 Chivas Masters Global Champion. The five-day final returned to Chivas’ roots at the Strathisla distillery in Speyside, the home of Chivas, before culminating at Oval Space in London, where Arron demonstrated exceptional leadership and collaboration to overcome immense competition from the world’s best bartending talent and lead his team to victory.

The fifth Chivas Masters Global Final required the 21 national winners to showcase Chivas’ core values of community, collaboration and generosity. Arron impressed the expert panel of judges throughout the five days and the final challenge saw him working alongside a team of 6 bartenders to establish their own sustainable pop-up cocktail bar and menu to excite the senses of their most important judge – the everyday public – with their community-inspired cocktails.

Starting off as a Food & Beverage trainee at a hotel in Phuket, Arron fell in love with hospitality and the passion showcased by the bartenders he worked alongside. This led him to do a month of training in the bar and he has been in love with bartending ever since.  His winning signature serve, The Grind, means to push oneself to work harder and to achieve one’s goals. It was inspired by his mother and the stories she used to tell about how hard the farmers in Thailand would have to work to provide rice and food for people to eat – just like John and James Chivas, who grew up on a farm themselves.

Arron’s team created the winning bar One Night in Bangkok at the Chivas Masters Global Final event in London, and was honoured as the 2018 Chivas Masters Collective – awarded for blending exceptional individual skill with an infectious sense of team spirit.

As the newly crowned 2018 Chivas Masters Global Champion, Arron has won an all-access trip to Tales of The Cocktail 2018 in New Orleans, the chance to travel the world with Chivas to inspire bartenders of the future and joins the exclusive, close-knit community of previous winners. The winning Chivas Masters Collective team led by Arron comprised Angel Solorzano Chumpitaz (Peru), Martin Suaya (Argentina), Kentaro Wada (Japan), Yuta Inagaki (Hong Kong), Rick Marson (Netherlands), and Louis Marcpherson (Australia).

Upon being crowned champion, Arron commented: “We wanted to bring Bangkok to London for just one night with our bar, so One Night in Bangkok was born. I love the community in the market in Bangkok that brings together people from all around the world through food and drink – and that’s what I wanted to recreate. My team spent five days together in the run-up to the global final, so I got to know what everyone was good at and how we could work best together. When you have a good team and a good connection, you can achieve anything.”

Richard Black, Global Marketing Director at Chivas Regal, comments: “It was another fantastic year for bartending talent at the Chivas Masters Global Final in London, with an unrivalled display of creativity and teamwork on a global stage. Arron demonstrated originality, skill, leadership and, most importantly, a real sense of community throughout the final week. This really shone through when he successfully blended all of the attributes of his supporting team to create a bar experience none of the attendees will forget in a hurry. For the first time in the competition’s five-year history we also made our consumers part of the competition, giving them the chance to try Chivas cocktails made by some of the world’s best bartenders and then cast their vote to help crown the winner.”

The 2018 Chivas Masters Global Final was hosted by Rhys Wilson, 2017 UK Chivas Masters winner. He was supported throughout by a distinguished panel of internationally acclaimed judges: Matt Whiley, pioneering London bartender and founder of award-winning bars including Worship Street Whistling Shop; Laura-May Coope, Co-founder of Social Life and social media superstar; JJ Goodman, Founder of The London Cocktail Club bar group, Craft Cocktail Co. bottled cocktails, and Keystones Cocktail Club; Bea Bradsell; storyteller and daughter of Dick Bradsell (creator of the Espresso Martini and the Bramble). Each not only scored the contestants, but also shared their insights and expertise through a series of inspirational masterclasses over the course of the week.

Arron’s winning drinks ritual:

The Grind

50ml Chivas Extra

15ml Fino Sherry

30ml Coconut & Black sticky rice cream

5ml Sugarcane shrub

10ml Banana Syrup

The Chivas Masters Collective teams:

Bar: One night in Bangkok

Leader: Arron Grendon (Thailand)

Team members:

Angel Solorzano Chumpitaz (Peru)

Martin Suaya (Argentina)

Kentaro Wada (Japan)

Yuta Inagaki (Hong Kong)

Rick Marson (Netherlands)

Louis Marcpherson (Australia)

Bar: #Brotherhood1801

Leader: Filip Jančárek (Czech Republic)

Team members :

Valentino Longo (USA)

Alex Godfrey (U.K)

Bartosz Konieczny (Poland)

German Gochev (Bulgaria)

Alex Sepulchro (Brazil)

Oscar Jesus Armenta Garcia (Mexico)

Bar: Broken Bench

Leader: Louis Lebaillif (France)

Team members :

Michael Chen (China)

Stefano Ruocco (UAE)

Fabián Ramos (Cuba)

Julio Ruiz (Dominican Republic)

Houssam Bennani (Morocco)

Chloé Merz (Switzerland)

About Chivas Regal

Launched in 1909, Chivas Regal is the world’s first luxury whisky and is considered to be a timeless classic, renowned for its benchmark quality and taste, style, substance and exclusivity. A truly global brand, Chivas Regal has been integral to the growth of the Scotch whisky category worldwide and today sells 4.5 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across the globe. With generosity, entrepreneurship and integrity at the heart of Chivas Regal, the brand launched its successful Win the Right Way campaign in 2014, which aims to inspire a new generation whilst making a positive impact on the lives of others. The Chivas Regal range includes Chivas Regal 12, Chivas Regal Extra, Chivas Regal Mizunara, Chivas Regal 18, our first blended malt Chivas Regal Ultis, Chivas Regal 25, the pinnacle of the range and ultra-prestige blend Chivas Regal The Icon, and the Global Travel Retail exclusive Chivas Brothers Blend.

www.chivas.com

An experiment in innovation… The A. D. Rattray Octave Project 

The A. D. Rattray Octave project involved taking a cask of matured whisky from a single distillery, and dividing it between four different Octave casks. The 50 litre Octave casks were crafted from oak staves taken from a larger cask that had previously contained either PX Sherry, Oloroso Sherry, Rioja or Rum. The aim was to investigate the effect of the amplified wood-to-spirit interaction during a short burst of second wood maturation.

Having carefully monitored the Octaves over time, at five months they decided the wood finishes were ready to bottle. One portion of whisky from the original cask was retained to enable a point of comparison.

The experiment, as detailed above, was conducted with an Arran 2011 Bourbon Barrel, Pulteney 2007 Bourbon Hogshead and Bunnahabhain 2002 Bourbon Hogshead.

The Results

The results have been presented in sets containing 5 x 30ml samples including the original Bourbon cask and the 4 Octave finishes – PX Sherry, Oloroso Sherry, Rioja and Rum.

The 3 sets, Arran (£25), Pulteney (£30) and Bunnahabhain (£35), are available to buy exclusively from A. D. Rattray on their new online shop – shop.adrattray.com. Limited numbers of 700ml bottles of each cask finish can also be purchased.

A. D. Rattray have chosen not to comment on their results or to publish official tasting notes, as they want to know what the whisky community think.

So get your samples and join the conversation #theoctaveproject

Notes:

Shop online for UK delivery at shop.adrattray.com or contact A. D. Rattray to enquire about international shipping.

For a limited time you can book a tasting of the Bunnahabhain Octave Project in the tasting room at the A. D. Rattray Whisky Experience in Kirkoswald, Enjoy a hosted tasting of the original Bourbon Hogshead and the 4 Octave finishes for £35 p.p. – book online at adrattray.com

About A. D. Rattray

A, D. Rattray, an independent whisky company established in 1868, are renowned for selecting and maturing Scotland’s best casks of single malt whisky for their Cask Collection single cask range. Their whisky portfolio also includes the award-winning single malt brands Cask Islay and Stronachie and the premium blend, Bank Note. Based on the West Coast of Scotland, you can visit their 5 star visitor attraction and home of their brands, the A. D. Rattray Whisky Experience and Shop in Kirkoswald, Ayrshire.

Saturday, July 7th 2:30-5:30 PM

Scotch Tasting: Edradour & Signatory Vintage

Treat yourself to a traditional single malt at our double distillery scotch tasting!

Featuring Edradour, the smallest traditional distillery in Scotland since 1823, and Signatory Vintage, one of the most discerning independent bottlers in the world, this expert presented tasting will have a variety of new and rare scotches to share.

About Edradour:

Edradour is world renowned as the smallest traditional distillery in Scotland and arguably the most unique. Dating back to 1825, Edradour, stands alone as the last stronghold of handmade single malt whisky from a farm distillery still in production today. Their ever-popular spirits maintain the traditional tastes of the Highland region, as well as unique wine-cask and peated finishes.

About Signatory Vintage:

Signatory Vintage Scotch is one of the most discerning independent bottlers of Scotch in the world. They bottle one cask at a time, capitalizing on the unique color and flavor characteristics of each individual cask. By sourcing all-natural malts from the best distilleries in Scotland, selecting the best single batches and bottling only the finest casks within those batches, they maintain an unparalleled standard of quality – The resulting “single, single, single malt” is about as exclusive it gets.

Click Here for More Details & RSVP

Glen Scotia 2005 Single Cask Loch Fyne Exclusive

Distilled at Glen Scotia in March 2005 and matured in a single cask (no. 17/413-10) for 13 years, this Campbeltown single malt has been selected and bottled exclusively for Loch Fyne Whiskies by the good folks at the distillery. Only 330 bottles have been filled, each one at a natural cask strength of 55.6% abv and free from chill-filtration.

£85 Buy Now

Ralfy has a few issues with . ralfy review 733 – Bowmore 18yo @ 43%vol

Heaven Hill Distillery Announces Limited Edition Release of Heaven Hill 27-Year-Old Barrel Proof Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Less than 3,000 bottles of pre-fire Bourbon available in this one time-release

BARDSTOWN, KY – Heaven Hill Distillery announced today the release of Heaven Hill 27-Year-Old Barrel Proof Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a rare bottling produced at Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery before it was destroyed by fire in 1996. Only 41 barrels produced in 1989 and 1990 passed taste testing for inclusion in this limited release that represents Heaven Hill’s heritage of distilling.

“As stewards of the Bourbon movement we take pride in the perseverance that is a hallmark of Heaven Hill’s 83-year history,” said President Max L. Shapira. “We remain committed to an enduring legacy of quality and patience, just as we have since 1935.”

Heaven Hill Barrel Proof Small Batch Bourbon, selected from limited remaining stocks of pre-fire barrels, has been closely monitored and allowed to age for an astounding 27 years. All but five of the barrels in this small batch were aged on the first and second floors, where increased humidity and evaporation caused the proof to drop. When all 41 barrels were mingled for bottling, the natural barrel proof was an unusually low 94.7 proof (47.35% abv). The resulting taste profile begins with an aroma of dried fruits and baking spices, with pipe tobacco notes developing after some time in the glass. A gentle entry is followed by an explosion of vanilla and floral flavor with traces of pepper and clove. After a slow and warming build up, the finish is incredibly long, yet very soft.

This ultra-premium Bourbon will be released in an elegant, tall 750ml bottle placed in a custom wooden box bearing two H’s on each side signifying the Heaven Hill name. The bottle is secured in the box with magnetic closure and sits in a blue satin-lined base. The distiller’s notes label features hand-written bottle numbers, distiller tasting notes, and DSP-KY-31, denoting the Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery. The one-time release of Heaven Hill 27-Year-Old Barrel Proof Small Batch Bourbon, shipping late fall 2018, will be available in limited markets for a suggested retail price of $399.

 ABOUT HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY: Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 1.4 million barrels aging in 55 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whisky and Parker’s Heritage Collection. Heaven Hill Distillery currently holds the title of 2018 San Francisco Spirits Best Bourbon, 2017 Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year, and previously held the titles of 2016 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year, 2016 Whisky Advocate American Whiskey of the Year and 2016 Rye Whiskey of the Year from “Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.” For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.

Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”

Tamdhu @ Maltstock

Gordon Dundas will be coming to Maltstock this year!

He’ll be hosting a relaxed masterclass on Tamdhu, focussing on the excellent sherried Tamdhu’s.

Gordon Dundas is International Brand Ambassador for Ian MacLeod Distillers Ltd, producers of Glengoyne, Tamdhu and Smokehead Single Malt whiskies. We are very delighted to have Gordon around this year!

Very relaxed!

Annette, Bob, Klaas, Stan, Teun

Friday, July 6th, 4-7PM

Scotch Tasting: Glen Scotia & Loch Lomond  

Experience the result of centuries of whisky making at this Friday-evening tasting. Both established in the 19th century, Campbelltown distillery Glen Scotia and Ben Lomond’s Loch Lomond have contributed a wealth of great drams to the whisky world. We’re very excited to see what whiskies will be brought to this event!

About Glen Scotia:

Founded in 1832, Glen Scotia is one of just three distilleries in Campbeltown and one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland. Much of their original 1830’s design has maintained in the distillery to this day , including their fermenters & stillroom. The result is a truly traditional whisky, richly flavored by centuries of historical practices.

About Loch Lomond:

Established in 1814 beside Scotland’s majestic Ben Lomond, Loch Lomond distillery has produced hundreds of fantastic whiskies.With centuries of rich whisky history behind each release, they continue to innovate with new and exciting scotch bottlings. The distillery’s latest innovation, a set of unique pot stills, allows for different ‘flavour notes’ to be captured through producing alcohol up to 90% ABV, wheras normal stills deliver the alcohol at around 70% ABV.

Click Here for RSVP

Happy 4th of July to our friends in the United States of America!