Welcome to the second 2018 quarterly newsletter. We are all very busy here in Campbeltown, as usual, with the up coming Campbeltown Malts Festival and a host of new releases coming your way very shortly.

Below, we have a summary of events and news we feel you guys should know about and if you have any questions or queries then you know where to find us.

Distillery News

A short update on the continued improvement works that are being carried out at the distillery. The distillery shop is still being worked on, thanks to the hard work and dedication from the distillery staff, we hope this will be up and running by the time we welcome you in Campbeltown in May for the malts festival. A new car park is being worked on at the distillery, sitting just beside the malt barns on Well Close and along Glebe Street to provide more space for visitors to the distillery.

Springbank Whisky School 2018 has begun and we are welcoming the pupils into the distillery on the 4th week of the Whisky School 2018. Pupils will be working hard as always our website and Facebook will be updated regularly with their progress.

Up and Coming Releases

Keep a close eye out for some new releases coming out soon! You will, of course, receive your Society Newsflash before these three releases go on sale.

We are launching the Springbank 21yo 46%, Longrow 18yo 46% and the second launch of the Hazelburn Sherry wood series – a Hazelburn 13yo 47.4%.

As Society Members you will always receive advanced notice that these will be launched via email. We will, as always, notify you that we do not control how shops sell their stock or if they take pre-orders so please be prepared for this. The Cadenhead shops are out-with our control so if you have any enquires or comments about individual shops please contact them directly. Remember to look at the ‘Where to buy’ section of our website to find your local UK stockist : http://www.springbank.scot/distributors/

Staff Profiles 

Hope everyone enjoyed the glimpse into the life at Springbank for John Wareham. Please keep a close eye on our website and social media platforms, future staff interviews regarding their experiences of working for Springbank and an insiders look at what it is like to be involved within the whisky making process – a new profile will soon be uploaded.

As Society members you will always get first access to these profiles first as they will be posted on the society section of the Springbank website before they appear anywhere else. So keep a close eye out on the website!

Please don’t forget, any questions you would like to be answered, then email us and let us ask your questions to the staff.

For those who have yet to sign in to the Society Section of the website please follow the instructions below.

: Go to www.springbank.scot

: Click on the ‘Society’ tab along the top of the page

: Click on the ‘Confirm Log-in Details’ orange tab

: Please enter all the information that is required

: Once you have submitted this information, a notification should be displayed to tell you that an

email has been sent to your given email address and it will ask you to verify this email address.

: Once you have verified, we will activate your account on our side and you are good to go! Just access ‘Log-In to Society News’  and enter your username and password.

Sales Teams Events

In the first few months of the year we have been busy travelling around the world sharing our love of all things Springbank, Glengyle and Campbeltown. We are all back in Campbeltown now, on the build up to the most highly anticipated whisky festival of the year.

So far this year we have been to the ends of the earth to spread our love and make new friends all in the names of Springbank and Glengyle Distillery. We’ve done 58 tastings in 12 countries in just 5 months ranging from Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, France and Germany.

Ronan recently ventured in the Arctic Circle to The Arctic Whisky Festival in Tromso, Norway; David and Ranald have been ‘back-packing’ all the way south in Queenstown, New Zealand representing Springbank and Kilkerran. And Grant has been to Dundee.

We really do get about don’t we!

In the upcoming months we will, again, be venturing around the world.

May: 

Ranald will be in Whizita, Itzehoe Germany for a special Springbank and Kilkerran Charity Tasting on the 4th and then onto Kiel for the Kieler Whisky Messe.

June:

Grant will be in Ayr for the Whisky An’A’That festival with great Springbank and Kilkerran Whiskies on the 2nd.

Grant will also be down in London on Sunday 17th for The Whisky Event at the Grosvenor Hotel for Springbank and Kilkerran.

July: 

From the 23rd – 27th Ronan will be flying out to Malaysia for a tasting tour around the country with Springbank and Kilkerran.

For more info please visit http://www.springbank.scot/events/ to check out the most up to date list of where our Sales Teams will be!

Campbeltown Malts Festival 22nd – 25th May

The Campbeltown Malts Festival! Not far away now and we are looking forward to welcoming as many of you to Campbeltown as possible. We should have enough whisky!

Tickets have been on sale since February and after the initial rush and chaos we hope everyone has got the tickets for the masterclasses they wanted.

We understand that demand is high for the tastings, but please don’t fret! There are a very limited number of tickets remaining and also tastings/masterclasses that are ONLY bookable on the day of the tasting! So plenty of opportunity to pick up some last minute tickets for some delightful tastings!

Don’t forget we also have some great whisky bars available on both days! The Springbank Warehouse bar on Thursday and The World Famous Cadenhead Lucky Dip Bar and Pop-Up Kilkerran Cocktail Bar on Friday!

Social Media: 

For all you Facebookers, Instagramers and Tweeters! Please use the hashtags’ #CampbeltownMaltsFestival and #Springbank on all platforms and keep us inundated with your Campbeltown Malts Festival Snaps! We will look to repost and share as many as possible and see how everyone is enjoying their time in Campbeltown!

That’s all from us here at Springbank.

Everyone stay on your toes for the next Society NewsFlash!!

Slainte!

Please contact the Society HERE to join!

Just arrived: Highland Park The Light

Saturday, June 2, 2:30 – 5:30PM 

Bourbon Tasting: Balcones 

From humble beginnings an old welding shop under a bridge in Waco, Texas, Balcones distillery is now recognized worldwide for their bold and intense flavors. From blue corn grown in New Mexico to the first Texas-grown malted barley, they’ve taken pains to create a truly Texas spirit – which is then distilled in magnificent copper pot whisky stills designed by Forsyths of Scotland. The result is a decadent and densely flavorful whiskey.

Click Here to RSVP

BENRIACH, GLENDRONACH AND GLENGLASSAUGH WHISKY TASTING – THURSDAY 7TH JUNE

Matt Chambers will be coming along to present our next whisky tasting on Thursday 7th June and as a special treat the tasting will feature not one, not two but three distilleries!  Matt is the UK Brand Ambassador for Benriach (from Speyside), Glendronach and Glenglassaugh (both from the Highlands) – each of which have a distinctly different style and were acquired by Brown-Forman in 2016 when they bought the group from Billy Walker and his partners.

The main focus of the tasting will be whisky from Glenglassaugh distillery but there will also be guest appearances of a luscious, sherried Glendronach and an aged Benriach that is the first Benriach to have been developed by talented Master Blender Rachel Barrie, who was brought in by Brown-Forman in 2017 to further develop the profile of the three distilleries.  The Glenglassaugh whiskies will include the fruity and smooth Evolution, a peated expression and some limited editions that have been garnering great reviews recently so, all in all, this promises to be a tasty and interesting line up.

Tickets are £15 per person and will be available to buy online from 1.30pm on Tuesday 8th May.  Please note, no bookings will be taken before this time and because of the high demand for these tickets the maximum number per booking is 4.

N.B. These events get booked out very quickly so make sure you go online to book yours as soon as they are released.  If you do miss out then please contact us to register your interest and we will add you to the reserves list for any returned tickets.

See below for all the details and if you have any queries just contact us.

Sláinte!
Fran and Ken
Arkwrights Whisky and Wines
www.whiskyandwines.com

THE BORDERS DISTILLERY^® – FIRST SINCE 1837

– Distilling Returns to the Scottish Borders After an Absence of Nearly 200 Years –

It was at 10.11am on 6^th March 2018 that new-make spirit started to flow from the copper pot stills at The Borders Distillery in Hawick, a pivotal moment not only for the four founders of the Three Stills Company (TTSC), owners of The Borders Distillery^® but also for distilling in the Scottish Borders.

Tomorrow (Tuesday 1^st May 2018), The Borders Distillery^® will officially open its doors to the public, marking the revival of an industry that had ceased to exist in the region for nearly 200 years – the last-known distillery closed in Kelso in 1837.

In March 2013, Tim Carton, John Fordyce, Tony Roberts and George Tait, founded TTSC aiming to capitalise on the growth of Scotch Whisky sales, particularly in Malt Whisky, and the explosion in demand for gin made in Scotland.   Having all worked at one time or the other at international distillers William Grant & Sons and having spent much of their professional lives in the drinks sector, they knew there was an opportunity to be had in building a new distillery and the opportunity lay in the Scottish Borders.

It was John Fordyce who identified Hawick as a potential location. Having worked for world-leading thread manufacturer COATS plc, he knew that the town not only boasted a plentiful supply of magnificent water but it also, owing to its rich manufacturing heritage, had a skilled workforce that to tap into. This, coupled with the absence of an operational distillery and the fact that the region is the heartland for barley production in the UK, presented a compelling case for the distillery to be built in the Scottish Borders as Tim Carton, CEO explained.

“There were some very convincing arguments for us to look to the Scottish Borders for our distillery,” he said.  “The skilled labour market and textile manufacturing history, particularly in tweed and cashmere, were two big influencing factors, as was ready availability of natural resources and raw materials.”

In November 2015 TTSC announced that it had reached its £10m fundraising target to be able to realise its vision for The Borders Distillery^® and work started a year later on the 1.3-hectare site overlooking the River Teviot in Hawick.

The site houses two large sheds, dating from 1888, and a Tudor Cotswold building, which was constructed by Hawick Urban Electric Company in 1903.  TTSC took the decision to preserve as much of the buildings’ historical features in the redevelopment as they could and, under the guidance of GMA Architects and contractors M & J Ballantyne, signs of this sensitive restoration style are evident throughout.

The random rubble construction walls have been left exposed; the original trusses, wooden sarking and aluminium batons spanning the mash and still halls, have been fully refurbished.  Wherever possible, materials have been salvaged, reused or repurposed: stonework, ironmongery, doors, even slates have all found new homes.

The creation of a sustainable business model that would deliver social, environmental and economic benefits was fundamental to the TTSC management team.

Up to nineteen jobs will be created locally across the business’ core functions and over 65% of the civil budget was spent in the Borders area.  The barley sourced for distilling is entirely grown in the Scottish Borders, while all co-products (draff, spent lees and pot ale) will be used solely in the region. Process water for the distillery is drawn by borehole from the water table and cooling water is taken from the River Teviot, in the same way the town’s textile mills have done for centuries.

The distillery comprises a visitor centre and shop on the ground floor and entertaining/meeting space on the first floor: the open-plan Gallery, furnished with a bar and lounge seating, and the Teviot Room. The still hall is equipped with two wash stills, two spirit stills and a specially commissioned Carter Head still, all manufactured by Forsyths of Rothes.  Operating at full capacity, The Borders Distillery^® can produce up to two million litres of pure alcohol.

It will be a minimum of three years in cask before the first Borders Distillery Single Malt can legally be made available for sale.  TTSC, however, already has two brands in market: Clan Fraser, a blended scotch whisky, and Lower East Side, a blended malt scotch whisky.

Tim Carton added: “It was five years ago that we (the founders) came together to create a business plan that would spearhead the resurrection of an industry that had been lost to this region for generations.  This is a seminal moment for our business. In addition to being the first Scotch Whisky distillery to exist and operate in the Scottish Borders since 1837, we are now in a position to contribute to the growth of this fine industry.  Scotch whisky is again experiencing exciting times with growth fueled by new and more mature markets.”

Scotch Whisky is the world’s number one internationally traded spirit drink and it enjoyed a record-breaking year for exports in 2017. According to official HMRC data, last year Scotch grew in both volume and value (by 1.6% and 8.9% respectively) to a total of £4.36bn – the equivalent of 1.23bn bottles exported globally.

The Borders Distillery^® will open 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and guided tours will be held on the hour, every hour, for a ticket price of £12.

The Borders Distillery^® – First Since 1837

www.thebordersdistillery.com

The Borders Distillery^®

Commercial Road

Hawick

TD9 7AQ

T: 01450 374330

 Notes:

TTSC’s investors include the Edinburgh-based investment company Badenoch & Co. whose owner Malcolm Offord, is TTSC Chairman; the Ballande family in France (originating from the Scottish Lowlands and now an international, diversified and pioneering commercial group in France and the Asia Pacific region) and Drake Enterprises (an international investment group headquartered in Switzerland with Scottish ancestry and a background in food retailing, real estate and agribusiness).

Aside from the first rays of rare Scottish sunshine and the yellow daffodils that suddenly bloom on the estate, the first blush of spring at The Glenrothes comes with some familiar arrivals. Over the last few years we’ve welcomed a family of ducks at the distillery. They turn up at the beginning of May to paddle together in the waters of the Rothes Burn and feed from the land—as well as enjoying the bread from our sandwiches that we like to share with them during our breaks from busy whisky making.

To us, the first sighting of our ducks represents a moment to pause and reflect on new beginnings and the days to come as we ramp up production before taking our break during the distillery’s ‘silent season’. Being surrounded by the changing cycles of nature is a constant reminder of our connection to the land and the continuity of the traditions that are such an important part of what we do here.

So let’s all raise a glass together to our feathered friends!

1976 Brother Casks – Last chance to purchase

The few remaining bottles from 1976 Cask #2682 and 1976 Cask #2685 will be available for purchase until May 11th.

These extremely rare and highly collectable Glenrothes single cask malts represent a once in a lifetime opportunity to own an exceptional whisky from our original, but now silent stillhouse. Each purchase comes with a VIP invitation to tour The Glenrothes Distillery with our team, taste some very special whiskies and get behind the scenes at a distillery not open to the general public.

Cask #2682 

43.6 % Vol. 

Lemon peel, Almonds and Cedar wood.

 Buy Now

Bottled at cask strength and natural colour, these exclusive bottles come in a beautiful oak box with a display plinth, coasters and leather bound book telling the story of the year 1976.

Hurry, this offer ends on May 11^th!

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Oldest Known Bottle of Glenfarclas Comes Home

J.& G. Grant were thrilled to welcome home what they believe to be the oldest unopened bottle of Glenfarclas still in existence.  The recently rediscovered bottle is from 1920 – the oldest that we know of, making it a very important addition to the Glenfarclas archive.

On the closure of Gartloch Distillery in 1920, the bottle was presented to its manager Stephen Dowell.  It was kept by Mr Dowell until 1947, then passed to his daughter.  She then passed it to Mr Hugh Taylor, her niece’s husband, back in 1988 – after it was discovered wrapped in a tea towel at the back of the laundry cupboard!  He kept hold of it until recently, when his family contacted Glenfarclas.

The bottle came home during a lunch in April when John Grant was able to inspect it in person for the first time.  A number of features on the bottle meant he had absolutely no doubt about it’s authenticity. In an age when a number of bottles purportedly from that time are turning out to be counterfeit, this one is definitely the real deal. John said “I am delighted to bring this bottle containing whisky from the time of my grandfather back to it’s spiritual home, and as such add another chapter to our archive.”

Visitors to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival will be able to view the bottle, which will be on display in the Glenfarclas visitor centre alongside the new Festival bottling.  This year’s edition is a 2004 single cask selected by distillery manager Callum Fraser.  From Thursday, 80 bottles per day will be available at the distillery on a first come first served basis.

Saturday, May 12th  12-3PM 

Scotch Tasting:

Ledaig, Bunnahabhain, & Tobermory 

Treat yourself to a traditional scotch tasting! We’ll be showcasing a variety of Scotland’s whisky regions with three very different distilleries – Ledaig, Bunnahabhain, and Tobermory. Distillery representatives and whisky experts will present for questions throughout. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the home of whisky, this is the tasting for you.

Click Here to RSVP

FIESTA OF FLAVOUR

Festival fever is in the air this month, with an adventurous programme of whisky tastings and events happening in Speyside and Islay. May Outturn marks the occasion with a fiesta of flavour, bringing 21 colourful casks to explore – including our series of festival bottlings with celebratory labels, two from Speyside and four from Islay (look-out for the special stamps throughout the bottling list).

MAY OUTTURN: SOME RARE PEARLS INDEED

These rare bottlings have in some cases not been seen on the Society’s shelf for more than a decade! Seize this opportunity to (re-)discover and explore delicious drams of liquid history, guaranteed to lift your spirits.

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

This is not just a blog, it is a lifestyle!  Oban & Mull.

By Paul McLean of MCLEANSCOTLAND

Being hatched just along the road fae Oban in Connel, I have a great understanding of the west coast, especially Oban and Mull. Born Connel, babynapped at an early age, I have always had a pull to drag me home. This trip was just one of many.

Setting out from Perth where I now hang out, it is a very scenic two hour or so drive, through wonderful glens, passing lochs, coast and the occasional pub (he laughs), it is very hard not to stop every half hour or so, but – I venture on, all for the sake of tourism you understand. Passing through Crieff, I know of a very good grocer, who also sells cheeses and a bloomin grand selection of whiskies. From here passing by Glenturret Distillery – no calling in today folks, en route to a wee stop for a butty or burger in one of my favourites stops. He also sells banjo burgers (burger with a fried egg, when you bite it, it runs doon your shirt and your hand immediately does the banjo thing!) and a cuppa tea. Rested, fed and watered on I go, doon the glens to my next stop, The Green Welly Shop.  Gifts, food, drinks etc etc and, a good whisky shop with samples given oot, not me, am still driving. But, I do leave with a bottle of Tamdhu 10 year old single malt, a lovely dram and one you should try if not had before, it excells! Wonderful scenery as I turn left at the Glencoe fork in the road, along the Beatles road – it’s long and winding. This takes me to Connel, a stop here at the Falls of Laura, the Oyster Bar, before a few more miles to Oban. Park up and donder aboot on foot. There are two good whisky shops here and aye, both are well known to me and me to them, plus of course the Oban Distillery. A few pubs I regularly haunt – a dram or two in The Tartan Bar, a pint and a dram in Auley’s; even had Charlies home dram here – a JW Black, no bad, check into my accoms and set out for food, usually seafood, one or three places I know well. A good night is assured.

Next morning after breakfast I catch to ferry to Mull – the Isle of. A 45 minute sail, passing my castle; Duart and landing at Craignure. From here along the road towards Tobermory.

I have a date here with Macgochans pub, owned by a friend, great plates of food and a serious collection of whiskies. Of course as you would expect, he has a selection of Tob drams, many bottles of Tobermory and a few Ledaig peaty drams, standing at the bar you get this urge to try em all, but alas, this Budda shaped body cannee take em all, so lets have a Masala finish Tob, heaven in a glass, sorry angels, beat you to it this time – sorry dad. Neil usually has live music on and a special darts board, it calculates the score for you! Great for numpty’s like me. A wander over to the Distillery (two minutes) and chat with the staff, what’s new? Normally I cannee come away without a bottle! Today was no different; Ledaig 18  A wonderfully smoky Single Malt sweet and floral aromas with a richness and warmth of sea salt and smoke, it cuddles me so I had to have it. Un-chillfiltered @ 46.3% ABV.  The one I wanted but couldnee afford was the Tobermory 42yo. This rare, and heavily sherried dark chocolate and coffee liqueur flavours, with a spicy, salty tail astounds the pallet. Distilled in the 1970s, when the distillery’s 41 year closure had finally come to an end, this beautiful 42 Year Old Tobermory Single Malt is the oldest and rarest Tobermory ever released with only 1 cask bottled only 1 cask – oh please someone give me this! Some shopping, in my favourite shop, you can buy a bottle of whisky, a banjo, a book, maps, toys, hammers, nails etc etc even a dinosaur bone! Drinkies then bed. Day three, a drive around the island starting with Calgary, fab driving on wee roads/tracks. A good day out on Mull, a few stops for photos, well many actually, then back to Tobermory for another night, tonight into CafeFish for ma tea, fabulous seafood. That was a good day, rounded off by drinkies in the Mishnish. Day four, away home, same road but going the other way – as you do, still great scenery, home, bags in, cuppa tea, some work then to Christies pub. Now that is what I call a grand weekend!

PAUL  www.mcleanscotland.com